August 6, 1945, marked a pivotal moment in human history when the world witnessed the devastating power of nuclear warfare. The dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima forever changed the course of events and left an indelible mark on humanity’s conscience. As we solemnly reflect on this harrowing event, we delve into 20 crucial facts that offer a deeper understanding of the Hiroshima bombing. From the scientific development behind the bomb to the untold human stories of survival and resilience, join us as we remember and learn from this tragic chapter that shaped our world, forever reminding us of the importance of pursuing peace and understanding.
1-5 Facts About Hiroshima Bombing
1. In 1945, Japanese radar operators detected a small number of incoming US planes, one of which carried the nuclear bombs to be dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. However, they decided not to intercept them as the small number of planes were not seen as a threat.
2. Before dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, the US Air Force dropped pamphlets warning people of the impending bombing, urging them to evacuate the city.
3. For decades, the mayor of Hiroshima, Tadatoshi Akiba, wrote letters of protest each time a nuclear test was conducted, advocating for an end to the use of nuclear-weapons.
4. The Flame of Peace in Hiroshima, Japan, has burned since 1964 in honor of the victims and will be extinguished only when all nuclear weapons are removed from the world, and the Earth is free from the nuclear threat.
5. In 1945, a man named Tsutomu Yamaguchi survived the atomic blast at Hiroshima, dragged himself into an air-raid shelter, spent the night there, and in the morning caught a train to arrive at his job on time in Nagasaki, where he survived another atomic blast.
6-10 Facts About Hiroshima Bombing
6. About 12 cyanide pills were kept in the cockpit of the Enola Gay (the plane carrying the A-bomb), and pilots were instructed to take them if the mission was compromised during the bombing of Hiroshima. Only three of the twelve people on board the Enola Gay knew the real purpose of their mission to Hiroshima.
7. It took Tokyo about three hours before they realized Hiroshima had been bombed.
8. The oleander is the official flower of the city of Hiroshima because it was the first thing to bloom again after the explosion of the atomic bomb in 1945.
9. The ancient board game of “Go” was being played at a tournament in Hiroshima in 1945 when the atomic bomb went off only three miles away. Though the building was damaged and people were injured, they finished the match later that same afternoon (white won).
10. There were five Japanese cities on the initial hit list for atomic bombings, and Nagasaki was not one of them. The list included Kokura, Hiroshima, Yokohama, Niigata, and Kyoto.
11-15 Facts About Hiroshima Bombing
11. However, Kyoto was spared from atomic destruction solely due to the intervention of Henry L Stimson, the US Secretary of War, who had admired the city during his honeymoon decades earlier. Nagasaki took its place on the list.
12. The USA initially denied that atomic bombs caused any lingering radioactivity whatsoever, dismissing such claims as Japanese propaganda. Even the New York Times ran an article with the headline “NO RADIOACTIVITY IN HIROSHIMA RUIN,” citing only military sources and ignoring eyewitness accounts of radiation sickness.
13. The Japanese army had planned to have every man, woman, and child fight America to the death Kamikaze style even after the bombing of Hiroshima. There were factions within the military that attempted a coup to prevent Emperor Hirohito from surrendering, but the coup failed, and Japan eventually surrendered.
14. Godzilla, the iconic movie monster, was created by Japan as a reaction to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The monster’s origins were tied to nuclear detonations and the fear of nuclear-weapons.
15. Before the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the US dropped about 49 practice bombs, nicknamed “pumpkin bombs,” in Japan, resulting in the death of 400 people and injuring 1,200.
16-20 Facts About Hiroshima Bombing
16. Around 25% of the deaths caused by the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki were conscripted Koreans who were forcibly brought to Japan to work in labor camps during World War II.
17. The atomic bombs’ codenames, “Little Boy” and “Fat Man,” were chosen by their creator Robert Serber, who apparently drew inspiration from John Huston’s 1941 film The Maltese Falcon.
18. The estimated death toll of the Hiroshima bombing ranges from 90,000 to 166,000 people.
19. While the Nagasaki bombing is thought to have caused the deaths of 60,000 to 80,000 people.
20. Operation Meetinghouse, the American firebombing of Tokyo in March 1945, resulted in the most destructive bombing event of WWII, causing more deaths and destruction than the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
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