The Manhattan Project
The Birth of the Atomic Age
In the midst of World War II, a top-secret research initiative known as the Manhattan Project forever changed the course of human history. This ambitious and highly classified program sought to develop the world’s first atomic bomb, a weapon of unprecedented power and destructiveness.
The Manhattan Project brought together some of the brightest minds of the 20th century, whose work would ultimately lead to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the end of World War II, the nuclear arms race, and the dawn of the Atomic Age.
The Genesis of the Project: A Race Against Time
The origins of the Manhattan Project can be traced back to 1939, when German scientists Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann discovered nuclear fission, the process by which an atomic nucleus is split, releasing a massive amount of energy. This breakthrough raised the alarming possibility that Nazi Germany could harness the power of the atom to create a devastating new weapon.
In response to this growing threat, a group of prominent physicists, including Albert Einstein, penned a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt (D-New York) in August 1939, warning him of the potential dangers posed by atomic weapons and urging him to initiate a research program to develop…
