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The Manhattan Project was a top-secret U.S. government project during World War II to develop the first atomic bombs. The project's success led to the creation of the first nuclear weapons, which were first used as weapons against Japan in WWII.
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Chicago Pile-1 was the world's first nuclear reactor. It was built at the University of Chicago, and the project was led by a physicist named Enrico Fermi. On this date, we achieved the first controlled and self-sufficient nuclear chain reaction. -
After the success of Chicago Pile-1, it was dismantled and rebuilt with some upgrades as Chicago Pile-2 in early 1943 at the Argonne Forest site in Palos Hills, Illinois. It achieved criticality on March 20, 1943. -
Then, after Chicago Pile-2 achieved criticality in March 1943, the next major event in nuclear energy development was the startup of Chicago Pile-3 in May 1944. This was the first heavy-water-moderated reactor. This event marked a significant step in the Manhattan Project. -
The Trinity Test was the world's first detonation of a nuclear weapon. It was conducted by the U.S. Army in mid-1945 in a remote area located in New Mexico. The goal was to test the plutonium bomb's complex design. It turned out to be a success. -
The Allies in WWII called for Japan's surrender and threatened "prompt and utter destruction", but Japan would not surrender to them. The United States dropped a nuclear bomb named "Little Boy" on Japan. This was the first use of a nuclear weapon. -
The United States dropped an atomic bomb, code-named "Fat Man", on the Japanese city of Nagasaki. This happened right after the bombing of Hiroshima, and this is basically what finished off the final Axis power. -
This reactor first achieved electricity generation from nuclear energy. This was intended to demonstrate that a nuclear reactor could produce more fissionable material than it consumed during operation. Another goal of this experiment was to further support peaceful use of nuclear energy. -
The Obninsk reactor (known as APS-1) was the first to provide a significant amount of electricity to a public power grid. It was connected to the Moscow grid, providing power for an industrial capacity. -
The IAEA was formed in response to U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower's 1953 "Atoms for Peace" proposal. Its mission was to ensure nuclear peace worldwide, to prevent global destruction.
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Chernobyl was a nuclear reactor located in Ukraine during the Soviet Union. The flawed reactor design and gross operator errors during a test caused an uncontrolled power surge, leading to an explosion. The Chernobyl disaster significantly damaged the reputation of nuclear energy by shattering public trust and stalling the industry's growth in many countries -
A key positive outcome after the Chernobyl disaster was the creation of this association in 1989. This organization was formed to promote a global "safety culture" and improve nuclear safety worldwide through increased collaboration and shared learning among operators.