Hiroshima Day: What happened that day and some notable facts

On August 6, 1945, during World War II, a U.S. B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb code-named “Little Boy” on Hiroshima, Japan, resulting in an estimated 140,000 deaths.

Seventy-seven years have elapsed since then and every year the world remembers August 6 as a day of solemn remembrance and reflection. This day stands as a poignant reminder of the cataclysmic impact of nuclear warfare and the urgent call for global unity in pursuit of peace and disarmament.

On that pivotal day, an unprecedented flash of light tore through the skies over Hiroshima, Japan. The city was thrust into a vortex of destruction as an atomic bomb unleashed unimaginable havoc. The aftermath was a haunting tableau of devastation and human suffering, etching an indelible scar in the annals of history.


Notable facts
It was a Monday, and about 8:15 a.m. on August 6, 1945, the atomic bomb was dropped in Hiroshima

The bomb was named Little Boy.

The bomb was dropped by American Boeing B-29 Superfortress, named Enola Gay. It was flown by Paul Tibbets (23 February 1915 – 1 November 2007).

The blast immediately killed around 80,000 and injured over 35,000.

Before the blast Hiroshima said to have around 90,000 buildings out of which only 28,000 remained after the explosion.

The United States used to warn the Japanese civilians about potential air raids for months and it reportedly dropped over 63 million leaflets across Japan. However, the US did not give any warning about the much more destructive atomic bombing before dropping the bomb in Hiroshima.

The bomb was to be dropped on Aioi Bridge but it missed the target due to crosswind and instead detonated directly over Shima Surgical Clinic.

The Little Boy released the equivalent energy of 16 ± 2 kilotons of TNT but was infact considered very inefficient as it released only 1.7 percent of its material fissioning, according to Wikipedia.

The bomb's radius of total destruction was about 1.6 kilometers while fires engulfed about 11 square kms.

The bomber, Enola Gay, stayed over the target area for two minutes and was 16 kilometers away when the bomb detonated.