History

History

This section provides an overview of the history of the Manhattan Project, the key organizations involved, the science behind the bomb, and more.
A Black Brant XII rocket similar to the one launched during the Norwegian rocket incident

Nuclear Close Calls: The Norwegian Rocket Incident

In 1995, Russian officials briefly misinterpreted a Norwegian scientific rocket to be a nuclear attack.

Nuclear Fission

In the 1930s, scientists observed and explained nuclear fission--splitting an atom--for the first time.
President Lyndon Johnson looking on as Secretary of State Dean Rusk prepares to sign the NPT, 1 July 1968. Photo Courtesy of the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library.

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is a comprehensive international arms control agreement addressing both horizontal and vertical nuclear proliferation.

Experimental Breeder Reactor I. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Nuclear Power Today

One of the Manhattan Project’s many legacies is the development of peaceful nuclear reactors.
US Trident missile.

Nuclear Proliferation Today

The unprecedented use of nuclear weapons in World War II served as the starting point for an ongoing era of nuclear proliferation.
Military reservist during decontamination activities at Chernobyl. Photo Credit: USFCRFC from IAEA Imagebank Flickr

Nuclear Reactor Accidents - History and Legacies

Nuclear power is controversial among governments, experts and the public. Three high-profile accidents contribute to public fear surrounding nuclear power.
The first large-scale nuclear reactor in history, the B-Reactor, in Hanford, Washington

Nuclear Reactors

A nuclear reactor is a device that initiates, moderates, and controls the output of a nuclear chain reaction.

Nuclear Testing in Mississippi

After nine years of negotiations, the United States, the Soviet Union, and other countries signed the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (LTBT) in 1963, which prohibited “any nuclear weapon test explosion, or any other nuclear explosion” “in the atmosphere; beyond its limits, including outer space; or under water, including waters or high seas.”[i] This treaty, in part, resulted from the

Emblem of the Antarctic Treaty

Nuclear Weapon Free Zones and Denuclearization

This article discusses Nuclear Weapon Free Zones and other denuclearization agreements.

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