August 6 & 9, 1945Reputable source · 3 sourcesWell documented
The Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
On the timeline · around August 6 & 9, 1945 ·
What happened
On August 6, 1945, the American B-29 Enola Gay dropped the uranium bomb 'Little Boy' on Hiroshima; three days later, on August 9, Bockscar dropped the plutonium bomb 'Fat Man' on Nagasaki. Each bomb destroyed most of its city and killed tens of thousands of people instantly, with many more dying later from injuries and radiation.
Why it matters
The only wartime use of nuclear weapons, the bombings preceded Japan's surrender within days and opened the atomic age.