When Japan solemnly refers to the 80th anniversary of the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki this week, the world reflects one of the darkest and most defining moments of modern history.
On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, followed by the second attack on Nagasaki three days later. The bomb attacks together claimed more than 200,000 lives and changed the course of war, diplomacy and science forever.
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Here are five key facts that understand the size and heritage of bomb attacks:
What happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
On the morning of August 6, 1945, the US B-29 bomber released an enola gay over the city of Hiroshima’s bomb dubbed “Little Boy”.
On the morning of August 6, 1945, the US B-29 bomber released an enola gay over Hiroshima’s bomb called “Little Boy”. The device exploded approximately 600 meters above the ground and released the explosion equivalent to 15,000 tonnes of TNT.
The device exploded approximately 600 meters above the ground and released the explosion equivalent to 15,000 tonnes of TNT.
At the end of that year, about 140,000 people were killed.
Only three days later, on August 9, the US dropped the second bomb – a “fat man” – on Nagasaki, killed 74,000 others. Only nuclear weapons remain used twice in war.
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How destructive were atomic bombs?
The whole neighborhood in Hiroshima and Nagasaki were mostly built of wood, absorbed in the fireplace that consumed all the available oxygen, causing death by stubborn.
In Hiroshima, they reached a temperature near the explosion center stunning 7,000 ° C and burned everything within three kilometers. The survivors remembered when they saw a massive fiery ball and were thrown by the air explosion.
The whole neighborhood, mostly built of wood, was absorbed in the fireplace that consumed all the available oxygen, causing death by stinging.
One witness from Nagasaki, Koichi Wada, recalled, “I remember the burnt bodies of small children lying around the hypocentre area like black rocks.”
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What were the long -term effects of radiation on the Japanese?
Many in Japan who survived the initial explosions, suffered from acute radiation – Neosea, hair loss, internal bleeding and vomiting. Over the years, they have faced survivors, known as Hibakusha, at a higher risk of leukemia and other cancer.
However, the Japanese research study did not find any significant increase in congenital disabilities among their children.
global The consequences of Hiroshima, the bombing of Nagasaki
The bomb attacks led to the Japanese surrender on 15 August 1945, which effectively ended World War II.
However, the attacks caused a global debate on ethics and the need for nuclear weapons. While some argue that the strikes have turned even greater loss of lives by avoiding the invasion of the land, the surviving trauma continues to carry trauma – physical and psychological.
Many Hibakusha faced social stigma and was excluded, especially in marriage, because of myths surrounding radiation.
What was Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
In recent years, global leaders have suffered suffering. Pope Francis met Hibakusha in 2019 and called the crime of nuclear weapons against humanity. ”
Survivors and their supporters have become global advocates of nuclear disarmament. Groups like Nihon Hidankyo, who won the Nobel Peace Prize, continue to campaign against nuclear weapons.
In recent years, global leaders have suffered suffering. Pope Francis met Hibakusha in 2019 and called nuclear weapons “crime against humanity”. In 2016, Barack Obama became the first American president to visit Hiroshi and accepted the survivors, even though he did not offer an apology.
On January 29, 2025, it was reported that the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki invited US President Donald Trump to visit the 80s this year. The anniversary of the atomic bombings from World War II.
This year, in an important gesture, Russia is among the 100 nations, which are expected to participate in Nagasaki’s commemorative ceremony – mark their first invitation since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.
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