Rare photos of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the atomic bomb tragedy, 78 years later, still haunting

The world's first two atomic bombs dropped by the US military on Japanese cities created an unprecedented tragedy .

78 years ago, from August 6th to August 9th, 1945, two atomic bombs Little Boy and Fat Man were dropped by the US military on the two cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. In just a short time, two large areas were leveled, creating a horrifying scene in history.

Picture 1 of Rare photos of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the atomic bomb tragedy, 78 years later, still haunting
A mushroom cloud of smoke engulfed the city of Hiroshima about an hour after the explosion. It is estimated that at least 70,000 people were killed in the initial blast.

More than 200,000 people died, many were severely burned and died later from starvation and radiation poisoning, creating a scene that haunts the world to this day.

After the world-shaking explosion, physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who played an important role in the successful research of the atomic bomb, was also associated with the nickname "father of the atomic bomb".

Picture 2 of Rare photos of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the atomic bomb tragedy, 78 years later, still haunting
J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Although his invention is considered a milestone in ending World War II by forcing Japan to surrender unconditionally, "unlocking" the power of nuclear weapons and witnessing the devastation that the bomb brought still made this famous physicist live in torment and guilt.

Picture 3 of Rare photos of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the atomic bomb tragedy, 78 years later, still haunting
This photo was taken 15 minutes after the Nagasaki bombing site.

Picture 4 of Rare photos of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the atomic bomb tragedy, 78 years later, still haunting The devastation from the bomb stretched for dozens of kilometers.

Picture 5 of Rare photos of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the atomic bomb tragedy, 78 years later, still haunting
Woman cleaning up amid the ruins

Picture 6 of Rare photos of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the atomic bomb tragedy, 78 years later, still haunting
A mother and child sit in the rubble of Hiroshima four months after the bombing.

Picture 7 of Rare photos of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the atomic bomb tragedy, 78 years later, still haunting
A patient with severe radiation burns lies in a Red Cross hospital in Hiroshima in August 1945.

Picture 8 of Rare photos of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the atomic bomb tragedy, 78 years later, still haunting
The extensive burn scars that followed the victims of the bomb explosion made many people feel sorry.

Picture 9 of Rare photos of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the atomic bomb tragedy, 78 years later, still haunting
The lucky survivors of the Hiroshima bombing

Picture 10 of Rare photos of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the atomic bomb tragedy, 78 years later, still haunting
A shadow of a person seen on the steps of a haunted bank

Picture 11 of Rare photos of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the atomic bomb tragedy, 78 years later, still haunting
Children wear masks to combat the smell of death in the air.

Picture 12 of Rare photos of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the atomic bomb tragedy, 78 years later, still haunting
A mother and child suffered minor injuries after the explosion.

Picture 13 of Rare photos of Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the atomic bomb tragedy, 78 years later, still haunting
People in Osaka, Japan, listen as Emperor Hirohito announces that Japan has accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, calling for the country's unconditional surrender on August 15, 1945.

Update 14 December 2024