The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Following are some facts about the bombing of the Japanese city of Hiroshima and a second attack on Nagasaki three days later -- the only times nuclear weapons have been used in war. Japan surrendered on Aug. 15, 1945, ending its role in World War Two.
HIROSHIMA:
* At 8.15 a.m. on Aug. 6, 1945, an American B-29 Superfortress bomber called Enola Gay dropped a 10,000-pound uranium 235 bomb, instantly killing about 78,000 people. By the end of that year, the number of dead reached about 140,000.
* The bomb, nicknamed "Little Boy," exploded about 580 metres (1,900 feet) above the centre of the city, setting off a surge of heat reaching 4,000 degrees Celsius (7,200 Fahrenheit) across a radius of about 4.5 km (2.8 miles). More than half of the city's buildings lay in ruins.
NAGASAKI:
* At 11.02 a.m. on Aug. 9, the United States dropped a 10,000-pound plutonium 239 bomb, nicknamed "Fat Man".
* It exploded about 500 metres above the ground, instantly killing about 27,000 of the city's estimated population of around 200,000. By the end of 1945, the number of dead due to acute radiation exposure reached about 70,000.
TOTAL KILLED:
* Japan has so far recognised the total number of deaths from the bombings, including from radiation illness and injuries, as 344,306 in Hiroshima (as of Aug. 6, 2024) and 198,785 in Nagasaki (as of Aug. 9, 2024).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Terrifying moment Boeing 747 wing smashes into runway while landing during typhoon in Taiwan
This is the shocking moment a Boeing 747 freighter's wing struck the runway during landing in Taipei, creating sparks that lit up the tarmac as the plane made contact. The United Parcel Service (UPS) Express cargo flight 5X61 departed from Hong Kong-Chek Lap Kok International Airport (HKG) at 09:50 UTC, bound for Taipei–Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on August 13. Dramatic footage shows the aircraft coming down to land at an incredibly awkward angle. As it approached the runway, it was wobbling so much that upon touching down, with its right wing lowered enough for the outboard engine to scrape along the runway. This immediately send out a dramatic burst of sparks as the plane continued to wobble down the runway. The jumbo jet, registered N613UP, reportedly arrived during a period of gusty winds brought by Typhoon Podul. Due to the prevailing weather conditions, the plane conducted three approaches to runway 05L before successfully landing. An incident report from the Aviation Safety Network stated: 'UPS flight 5X61, a Boeing 747-8F, suffered an engine pod strike during a night-time landing on runway 05L at Taipei-Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE). As it approached the runway, it was wobbling so much that upon touching down, with its right wing lowered enough for the outboard engine to scrape along the runway 'At the time of arrival, strong gusting winds with windshear associated with Typhoon Podul were reported at TPE. At 11:20 UTC, the flight aborted the approach to runway 05L and executed a go-around. The aircraft was positioned for another approach, which was also aborted. 'At 12:08 UTC, the aircraft landed after the third approach and taxied to the apron. Photos after the incident show a cowling had separated from the engine.' The aircraft completed its rollout without further incident and taxied to the apron. Officials confirmed that Engine #4 sustained damage to its nacelle. No injuries were reported. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident. Typhoon Podul swept across southern Taiwan, bringing wind speeds of up to 191 kph (118 mph). The system triggered widespread closures across the island and led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights. The Central Weather Administration reported that Podul made landfall in the southeastern city of Taitung at around 1 pm local time. The typhoon then moved across Taiwan's southern tip before entering the Taiwan Strait around three hours later. Authorities said that more than 8,000 residents were evacuated as a safety measure. One person remains missing, and at least 112 injuries have been reported.
The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
Genshitsu Sen, Japanese tea master and former Kamikaze pilot trainee, dies at 102
Genshitsu Sen, a former Kamikaze pilot trainee and grand master of the Japanese tea ceremony who promoted peace through the art of tea, has died, officials said Thursday. He was 102. Sen had been hospitalized since falling and experiencing difficulty walking in May. He died early Thursday after developing breathing trouble, Urasenke officials said. As a survivor of Japan's wartime Kamikaze suicide program who saw many of his fellow pilots take off for one-way flights, Sen was a staunch anti-war advocate and promoted 'peacefulness through a bowl of tea.' 'Serving tea brings peace to everyone," he said. 'If everyone feels peaceful, there will be no war.' Sen became the 15th Grand Master of the Urasenke school of Japanese tea ceremony in 1964. Urasenke is one of three top schools founded in the early 17th century based on the teachings of Sen no Rikyu. As grand master, Sen performed the tea ceremony more than 300 times in 70 countries to promote the art of Chado, or the way of tea, and global peace, earning him the nickname 'flying teamaster.' He hosted tea ceremonies to pray for peace in milestone years marking the end of the war and, in 2011, served tea at the USS Arizona memorial in Honolulu, Hawaii, to pay tribute to those who died in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Sen was born in 1923 in Japan's ancient capital of Kyoto. He was only 6 years old when he first took lessons to become a grand master. His future was mired in uncertainty during the war. In 1941, the year he entered Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan launched the war on the United States, and two years later he was among 100,000 students mobilized to fight. In 1943, Sen was conscripted to the Imperial Navy and began training to be a Kamikaze pilot, but the war ended before he was deployed. Sen brought his tea ceremony equipment with him when he joined the navy and served a group of several fellow trainees a farewell tea before their mission. He handed over his grand mastership to his son in 2002, but continued to promote tea and peace until earlier this year. His wake and funeral were to be held by close family only and a memorial is expected at a later date, Urasenke said.
BBC News
8 hours ago
- BBC News
What was VJ Day? The moment World War Two ended
The world had been at war for six long on the 15 August 1945, Victory over Japan Day - or VJ Day - the guns finally fell silent. The fighting stopped and people across the world breathed a sigh of relief. World War II was over. What does VJ Day stand for? VJ Day stands for Victory over Japan Day. It's the name given to the day in August 1945 when Japan surrendered, bringing the Second World War to a complete that year, on 8 May, Germany had surrendered - this was VE Day (Victory in Europe Day). But while the war was over in Europe, it had still been raging in Asia and the Pacific. Many soldiers, sailors and airmen from the Allies - which included the UK, USA and USSR - were still fighting against Day came three months later, ending the war estimated 71,000 soldiers from Britain and Commonwealth countries died fighting Japan, including more than 12,000 prisoners of war who died in Japanese captivity. Why was World War II still going on? In the 1930s, Japan had been expanding its empire, invading China and other parts of Asia. By 1940 it had become allies with Nazi Germany and Italy, together known as the Axis in December 1941, Japan attacked a US Navy base at Pearl Harbour, in Hawaii, bringing the United States into the war. Around the same time, Japan attacked parts of the British Empire - including Hong Kong, Malaya, Singapore, and Britain and its Empire were fighting not just in Europe against Nazi Germany - but in Asia from Australia, India, Canada and African colonies joined the fight in jungles, on islands, and across vast mountains. Millions of troops from across the British Empire The war in the East was brutal. Soldiers faced extreme heat, tropical diseases, and dangerous were captured and became prisoners of war (POWs). Life in prison camps was often terrible: prisoners were given little food, made to work in harsh conditions, and suffered illness and injury. Some never made it home. Why did Japan surrender in WWII? Even after Germany's defeat in May 1945, Japan kept fighting. The Allies prepared for a possible invasion of Japan itself - but this could have cost many in August 1945, the United States decided to use the most powerful weapon the world had ever seen: Atomic bombs. The first bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, followed three days later by a second, on the city of Nagasaki. The devastation was instant and enormous. Tens of thousands of people were killed immediately, and many more died later from injuries and radiation caused by the days after the bomb on Nagasaki, Japan surrendered. These are still the only atomic weapons ever used in war, and their devastating power has meant countries have avoided using them again. Who announced VJ Day? US President Harry S Truman broke the news of Japan's surrender at a press conference at the White House at 7pm on 14 August. Later at midnight the UK's recently elected Prime Minister Clement Attlee spoke to the British public in a radio broadcast. "Japan has today surrendered," he said. "The last of our enemy is laid low. Peace has once again come to the world."The following day, 15 August 1945, Japan's Emperor Hirohito was heard on the radio for the first time ever when he announced the surrender. Following the news, people poured into the streets to London, crowds filled Piccadilly Circus and gathered outside Buckingham Palace. Millions of people from the allied countries took part in parades and street sang, danced, waved flags, and hugged friends and strangers. Why is VJ Day important today? World War Two was the deadliest conflict in history, involving over 60 countries and causing the deaths of around 70 million Day was not just about celebration - it was also about remembering. Remembering those who fought, those who suffered, and those who never returned home. Reflecting on the impact of the Second World War, King George VI said in a broadcast: "There is not one of us who has experienced this terrible war who does not realise that we shall feel its inevitable consequences long after we have all forgotten our rejoicings today."It marked the start of a new chapter for the world.
