Hiroshima Day 2025: A look at the history and deep significance
In 2025, Japan will mark the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima atomic bombing, a catastrophic event that led to over 140,000 deaths and ultimately, Japan's surrender, ending World War II. Hiroshima Day is observed annually to remember the victims and reflect on the humanitarian impact of nuclear warfare.
iStock On August 6, 1945, the United States dropped the world's first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, marking a devastating moment in human history. The bomb, nicknamed 'Little Boy', was dropped by a B-29 bomber aircraft and resulted in the deaths of over 140,000 people. In 2025, Japan observes the 80th anniversary of this catastrophic event.
Every year, Hiroshima Day is observed on August 6 to honor the victims of the nuclear attack. It not only serves as a day of remembrance but also as a time to reflect on the widespread humanitarian impact and long-term consequences of nuclear warfare.
During World War II, Japan was a major Axis power and had refused to surrender to the Allied forces. In a move aimed at ending the war, the United States dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Just three days later, a second nuclear bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, resulting in a death toll that surpassed 200,000 by the end of 1945. Though some survived, many suffered lifelong effects from radiation exposure.The immense destruction forced Emperor Hirohito of Japan to announce unconditional surrender on August 15, 1945, effectively ending World War II. However, the impact of the twin bombings continues to echo even decades later.Every year, peace marches, memorial services, and awareness events are organized to highlight the horrors of nuclear conflict. Although nuclear bombs have not been deployed in warfare since 1945, the world has repeatedly come dangerously close to nuclear disaster, underlining the persistent threat posed by such weapons.
Currently, around 100,000 survivors, known as hibakusha, are still living. Many stayed silent about their traumatic experiences for years due to stigma and fear of discrimination. Others were simply too emotionally affected to speak. In recent years, some have begun to share their stories, driven by a desire to promote global disarmament.In fact, last year, a group of atomic bomb survivors was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their tireless advocacy against nuclear weapons — a powerful testament to their resilience and dedication to peace.
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First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
'My god, what have we done': The 2 US pilots who dropped atomic bombs on Japan's Hiroshima and Nagasaki
On August 6, 1945, a US Air Force B-29 bomber dropped the atomic bomb 'Little Boy' on Hiroshima, killing thousands of people. Three days later, another atomic bomb detonated over the Japanese city of Nagasaki. Who were the pilots who flew the planes – Enola Gay and Bockscar – carrying the nuclear weapons? Did they ever regret the attacks that killed about two lakh in Japan? read more This photo obtained from the US Air Force dated August 1945 shows the crew of the B-29 bomber "Enola Gay" including pilot Paul W Tibbets (C), who named the aircraft after his mother, which dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima during World War II. AFP Photo/US Air Force Eighty years ago, the United States dropped the first atomic bomb on Japan, wiping out the entire city of Hiroshima. On August 6, 1945, a US Air Force B-29 Superfortress dropped a uranium bomb called 'Little Boy' on the Japanese city, killing more than a lakh people. Three days later, a more powerful atomic bomb exploded over Nagasaki. With this, Japan surrendered and the war came to an end. However, the death and destruction caused by the US attacks have raised questions about the necessity of these bombings. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What did the pilots who flew the planes carrying the atomic bombs think? We take a look. How the US bombed Hiroshima, Nagasaki On August 6, 1945, Hiroshima became the first city to witness an atomic bomb attack. A US B-29 bomber, dubbed the Enola Gay, dropped a 9,700-pound top-secret bomb on the Japanese city around 8:15 am. The bomb detonated, triggering temperatures as hot as the sun and destroying the whole city. Around 90 per cent of the 76,000 buildings in Hiroshima were damaged, burned or reduced to rubble. The atomic bombing killed an estimated 80,000 people. Tens of thousands of casualties were later reported due to radiation sickness and injuries. A total of 140,000 people are believed to have died by the end of the year. On August 9, 1945, a more powerful atomic bomb detonated over the Japanese city of Nagasaki. A US B-29 bomber, Bockscar, dropped a plutonium bomb dubbed 'Fat Man' on the city, killing nearly 40,000 people instantly. Another 40,000 later died from injuries and radiation sickness. The two atomic bombings killed about 200,000 people in Japan and possibly more. Six days after the Nagasaki bombing, ravaged by the nuclear attacks and a Soviet invasion of Japanese-occupied Manchuria, Japan surrendered. This marked the end of the Second World War. Pilot who flew Enola Gay Paul Tibbets flew the Enola Gay that dropped Little Boy on Hiroshima, a city with a population of about 350,000. He led a crew of 12 men on the mission, naming the bomb-carrying B-29 plane after his mother. Eighty years ago, the plane took off from its base in Tinian, near Guam, in the early morning and headed for Hiroshima in southern Japan. About 80 km out of Tinian, William 'Deak' Parsons, a naval captain, and Morris Jeppson, an electronics specialist, climbed into the bomb bay to arm Little Boy. The process involved putting four bags of cordite, a form of gunpowder, into the bomb's breech plug, The Guardian reported, citing an excerpt from Stephen Walker's book Shockwave: Countdown to Hiroshima. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Just over an hour from the Japanese coast, Jeppson returned to the bomb bay to replace Little Boy's three green safety plugs with three red arming plugs. 'He double-checked the red plugs were correctly set, gave the third one a final twist – 'That was a moment,' he remembered – and left. He was the last person to touch or see the bomb. Enola Gay's co-pilot, Bob Lewis, pencilled in his log: 'The bomb is now live. It's a funny feeling knowing it's in back of you. Knock wood,'' wrote Walker. On the morning of that ill-fated day, several air-raid sirens had already been heard in Hiroshima. By the time the siren sounded when the Enola Gay approached, it was too late. The Enola Gay was about 16 km away when the atomic bomb detonated. However, the plane still felt the shockwaves, with the crew recalling the jolt from the force of the explosion, reported Business Insider. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD They saw the mushroom cloud rising over Hiroshima. 'The city wasn't there. There was just nothing there. That dust cloud covered the whole city,' Harold Agnew, a Los Alamos physicist who flew another B-29, The Great Artiste, filled with blast‑measuring instruments, said, as per the book. Addressing the crew, Tibbets said: 'Fellows, you have just dropped the first atomic bomb in history.' 'You just can't imagine something that big. We couldn't see how the Japanese could continue the war. Nobody said anything about the people on the ground. That wasn't mentioned at all,' Theodore 'Dutch' Van Kirk, the navigator of the Enola Gay, told Walker in 2004. This general view of the city of Hiroshima showing damage wrought by the atomic bomb was taken March 1946, six months after the bomb was dropped August 6, 1945. File Photo/Reuters Tibbets and other crew members continued to defend the bombing until their deaths. 'I knew we did the right thing because when I knew we'd be doing that I thought, yes, we're going to kill a lot of people, but by God we're going to save a lot of lives,' Tibbets told the writer Studs Terkel in a 2002 interview. 'We won't have to invade [Japan].' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Tibbets, who died in 2007, did not express remorse over the loss of civilian lives. 'You're gonna kill innocent people at the same time, but we've never fought a damn war anywhere in the world where they didn't kill innocent people,' he told Terkel. 'If the newspapers would just cut out the s—: 'You've killed so many civilians.' That's their tough luck for being there.' Nagasaki was not the target Nagasaki was not the original target of the US after the Hiroshima bombing. The mission's primary target was the industrial city of Kokura, now called Kitakyushu. The bomb 'Fat Man' that destroyed the Japanese city was onboard the B-29 bomber Bockscar, piloted by Charles 'Chuck' Sweeney. The plane had fuel problems and thick smoke and clouds blanketing Kokura prevented the city's bombing. After several attempts, the crew decided to abandon their primary target and dropped the five-tonne atomic bomb on Nagasaki instead. 'Suddenly the entire horizon burst into a super-brilliant white with an intense flash – more intense than Hiroshima. The light was blinding,' Sweeney said in his 1997 book, War's End: An Eyewitness Account of America's Last Atomic Mission. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Smoke billows over Nagasaki, Japan after the atomic bomb was dropped on the city in this August 9, 1945 file photo. Reuters As per Walker's book, Fat Man exploded nearly directly over the factory that once produced torpedoes used in Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. Bockscar did not have much fuel to return to its starting base on Tinian Island. Sweeney then directed the plane to Okinawa, the closest American airbase. By the time it landed, the plane had only a minute's fuel left in the tanks. Sweeney did not regret bombing Nagasaki. 'I looked upon it as a duty. I just wanted the war to be over, so we could get back home to our loved ones,' he told the Patriot Ledger newspaper of Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1995. 'I hope my missions were the last ones of their kind that will ever be flown.' Sweeney's co-pilot on the mission, Fred Olivi, remarked in 1995: 'While thousands died, I feel sure the bomb had to be dropped because, if the Americans had been forced to invade Japan, it would have been a bloodbath.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD ALSO READ: 80 years after Hiroshima: Nuclear threat still looms over global security Did they ever feel regret? The devastation in Japan's two cities has led to reflection among the crew that carried out the missions. 'You don't brag about wiping out 60‑70,000,' Robert Shumard, a flight engineer on Enola Gay, who died in 1967, said. George 'Bob' Caron, the plane's tail gunner, admitted 'a partial feeling of guilt' when he saw images of burned children from Hiroshima. 'I wish I hadn't seen them,' he said, as per Walker's book. Jeppson once indicated that the bomb might have been demonstrated 'without the need for destroying a city'. He wrote to Walker about his 'sorrow' at Hiroshima's 'great tragedy'. 'My God, what have we done? If I live for 100 years I will never get these few minutes out of my mind," wrote Enola Gay's co-pilot Lewis in his logbook. Sweeney remained an outspoken defender of the bombings until his death, but knew that history should not be repeated. 'As the man who commanded the last atomic mission,' he had said in the 1997 book, 'I pray that I retain that singular distinction.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'I pray no man will have to witness that sight again. Such a terrible waste, such a loss of life,' Kirk, Enola Gay's navigator, said in an interview in 2005. 'We unleashed the first atomic bomb, and I hope there will never be another.' He added: 'I pray that we have learned a lesson for all time. But I'm not sure that we have.' With inputs from agencies
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Hiroshima Day 2025: Date, history, significance — all you need to know
Hiroshima Day 2025, August 6: Hiroshima Day, observed on August 6 every year, marks the tragic anniversary of the atomic bombing of the Japanese city, Hiroshima, by the United States during World War II in 1945. The bombing had been carried out by the B-29 bomber Enola Gay, nicknamed 'Little Boy', which exploded about 600 metres above Hiroshima, releasing an intense blast wave, high temperatures and lethal radiation, fatally killing an estimated 70,000-80,000 people instantly and about tens of thousands more dying from injuries and radiation exposure. #VIDEO | On this day in 1945, an atomic bomb was unleashed on Hiroshima. Almost 60 per cent of the town was destroyed. Many lost their lives and those who survived, suffered long-term effects. The US called the bomb 'Little Boy'. Know more: — The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) August 6, 2018 The city's infrastructure was destroyed, and survivors, known as Hibakusha, experienced long-term health problems and significant psychological trauma. This year, in 2025, the day will mark its 80th anniversary and will be observed on Wednesday, August 8 with this anniversary considered the last milestone event for many of them, as the number of survivors is rapidly declining, and their average age is now exceeding 86. The themes and messages of Hiroshima Day 2025 underscore the urgent necessity for the abolition of nuclear weapons and a worldwide dedication to peace. The day honours the lives lost, in addition to, serving as a reminder of the horrific human and environmental costs of nuclear warfare. Hiroshima Day is marked by ceremonies and events to remember the victims and promote peace and nuclear disarmament, with events such as peace marches, educational seminars, and memorial services held to engage communities worldwide in a shared commitment to nuclear disarmament and the promotion of global peace. Through these activities, Hiroshima Day reinforces the importance of remembering the past to build a safer and more just world for future generations.
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Business Standard
2 hours ago
- Business Standard
Hiroshima Day 2025: History, significance of this darkest hour in history
Hiroshima Day 2025: Eighty years on, the world still remembers the flash that changed history. On August 6, 2025, Hiroshima Day will mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing that devastated the Japanese city in 1945 — a grim reminder of the horrors of nuclear warfare and the enduring call for peace. It brings to mind the disastrous effects of World War II on humanity in 1945, when the atomic bomb was detonated on Hiroshima, causing unprecedented destruction and loss of life. Hiroshima Day is celebrated globally on this day with a number of activities aimed at advancing nuclear disarmament and peace. The day promotes dialogue on the morality of war and the defence of civilians while highlighting human rights. What is the history of Hiroshima Day? An estimated 39% of the population of Hiroshima, the majority of whom were civilians, were killed when the United States detonated the first nuclear bomb in history on this day in 1945 over the city. The US-commissioned Manhattan Project produced two atomic bombs. The US detonated the atomic bomb "Little Boy" on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, at around 8:15 AM local time. This was the first time a nuclear weapon was used in war. At almost 600 meters above the ground, the bomb exploded. Between 90,000 and 140,000 people were killed instantly when an American B-29 bomber dropped it on the city, and thousands more suffered from generational defects that still affect some members of the population today. Hiroshima Day 2025 Date: The US detonated the atomic bomb "Little Boy" on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, at around 8:15 AM local time. What is the significance of Hiroshima Day? Hiroshima Day stands as a solemn reminder of the catastrophic atomic bombing of 1945 that razed an entire city and left Japan grappling with long-lasting devastation. It underscores the universal truth that all wars are brutal — and nuclear warfare, incomparably so. As the world reflects on this dark chapter, it also sends a powerful message to global leaders: in an age where just nine nations hold over 13,000 nuclear weapons, diplomacy must be the only path forward in 21st-century geopolitics. Hiroshima's experiences and teachings encourage a dedication to peace and a will to promote a nuclear-weapons-free world. In honouring the past, we continue Hiroshima's legacy and work to ensure that tragedies like this 'never happen again'. 5 top asked FAQs on 80th Hiroshima Day 2025 1. What is Hiroshima Day, and why is it observed? Every year on August 6, people commemorate Hiroshima Day to mark the 1945 atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, during World War II. In addition to calling for world peace, it is a day of remembrance for the victims and a sobering reminder of the terrible effects of nuclear weapons. 2. What were the immediate effects of the bombing? The blast caused extensive damage and the immediate deaths of between 70,000 and 80,000 persons. Numerous survivors experienced serious radiation consequences, burns, and injuries. 3. What were the long-term effects of the bombing? Long-term repercussions included psychological stress and persistent health problems for survivors, such as elevated cancer rates and birth deformities. Hiroshima came to represent the atrocities of nuclear conflict. 4. Why is Hiroshima Day still important today? By promoting a society free from the threat of nuclear weapons and provoking contemplation on the human cost of conflict, Hiroshima Day draws attention to the necessity of nuclear disarmament and peace. Peace memorials, silent times, educational initiatives, anti-nuclear campaigns, peace walks, and lantern-floating are some of the ways people remember.
