Eighty years ago today, on August 6, 1945, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, killing thousands instantly and leaving many more to die from radiation poisoning over time. The bombing also targeted Nagasaki three days later, with similar devastating effects.
According to Toshiko Tanaka, who was just six years old when the bomb fell, both cities remain scarred by the horrors of that day. The Enola Gay B-29 Superfortress bomber delivered its payload, Little Boy, onto Hiroshima, destroying or heavily damaging 60,000 buildings and leaving only a few structures standing.
Nagasaki saw less overall destruction but still suffered significant damage. Three years after the bombing, both cities were struggling to recover, with Nagasaki slowly rebuilding in 1949 under a new law. Today, Hiroshima is a thriving metropolis of over 1.2 million people, while Nagasaki has nearly 400,000 residents.
The bombings led to an estimated 210,000 deaths and set a precedent for nuclear warfare that continues to affect the world today. As fears of nuclear war rise again, cities like Hiroshima are remembering and warning about the dangers of nuclear arms.
Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui recently marked the 80th anniversary by stating that ongoing conflicts threaten to undermine peacebuilding efforts worldwide. He emphasized the importance of learning from past tragedies and rejecting the idea that nuclear weapons are essential for national defense, calling it “a disregards[ing] of the lessons the world should have learned.”
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hiroshima-nagasaki-1945-2025-photos-atomic-bomb