What are some facts about the bombing of Hiroshima?

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There are not many events which affected the world like the bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. On this day, the 393rd Bombardment Squadron B-29 Enola Gray took off from an airbase in the west Pacific carrying the a-bomb, codenamed “Little Boy.”

The Bombing

At 8:15 Hiroshima time, the bomb was dropped. It missed the Aioi Bridge, its aiming point, by nearly 800 feet. It detonated right over the Shima Surgical Clinic. In a devastating blast, 4.7 miles of the city were destroyed and 90% of the city’s medical personnel were killed because they were in the clinic.

• The Atomic Bombing Of Hiroshima: Discusses the events of August 6, 1945 in great detail.
• Hiroshima Directory: Has many links to different aspects of Hiroshima including the bombing.
• Photographs: An in-depth look at the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings with lots of images.

The A Bomb

An atomic bomb is an explosive device which possesses destructive force coming from nuclear reactions. The bomb used enriched uranium and plutonium to create a chain reaction which was 2,000 times more powerful than any other bomb at the time. The first atomic bomb took six years and nearly $2 billion to complete.

• Little Boy Bomb: The National Air Force Museum’s page about “Little Boy,” the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima.
• The Atomic Bomb: Part of the National Security Archive, it traces the development and construction of the atomic bomb.

The Aftermath

The bomb also affected the city itself. Black rain fell for hours afterwards. The shock wave from the bomb destroyed much of the city. In addition to that, it had a profound effect on the war, which had come to almost a stalemate. On September 2, 1945, Japan surrendered to the Allies. Afterwards, U.S. and Japanese relations were very tense for many years.

• A Photo Essay: A Photo-Essay which studies the destructive effects of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.
• Hiroshima Panorama Project: A panoramic image of Hiroshima after the bombing.
• Aftermath of the Bomb: Describes the effects of the bomb and its aftermath. A similar government page is here.

Death Toll

Upon impact, 70,000 people were killed instantly and another 70,000 injured. At that time, Hiroshima had a population of around 255,000. It’s believed that there were around 140,000 deaths in total. Some died during the actual bombing and some died later from radiation poisoning, cancer, or leukemia. Radiation poisoning is damage to organ tissues because of excessive exposure to ionizing radiation. Symptoms include vomiting and a headache until skin damage develops. Some people also lost their hair. The intense heat caused blindness and many people suffered from thermal burns. Most people died within two to four weeks of exposure since there’s no cure for radiation poisoning.

• Children of the Atomic Bomb: A part of UCLA, it discusses the death tolls of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings.

The Bomb Museum of Hiroshima

To honor the victims, the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park was erected. It has many memorials, including an A-Bomb Dome, Peace Bell, and Memorial Cenotaph. They hold a ceremony every August 6. It is open to the public many days of the year.

• Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum: The official page of the Hiroshima Peace Site, Hiroshima’s museum dedicated to atomic bomb.

Other Important Details

The effects of the bombing of Hiroshima are still felt today. For generations after the bombing, children were born with severe health defects that are believed to be connected to the effects of the bomb’s radiation. However, the city itself has healed from the bombing and Hiroshima has been declared a City of Peace by the Japanese Parliament.

• The Atom Bomb & Peace: The official page of Hiroshima City. It has information about the atom bomb.
• Eyewitness Accounts: A compilation of eyewitness accounts from Hiroshima survivors.
• Effects Of Atomic Bombs: Some discussions about the destructive effects of the atomic bombs.
• The Decision: Many pages of documents that chronicle events leading up to the decision to drop the a-bomb.

Since the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, there has not been a single atomic bombing. Hopefully, this trend continues.

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Get more facts and information about Hiroshima from A Dictionary of Contemporary World History at Encyclopedia.com.