Atomic Bombing
At 8:15 on August 6, 1945, Little Boy — the first atomic bomb to be used in war — detonated almost directly above the dome. The building's vertical columns were able to resist the nearly vertical downward force of the blast, and parts of the concrete and brick outer walls remained intact. The center of the blast was displaced 490 feet (150 m) horizontally and 1,968 feet (600 m) vertically from the dome, having slightly missed the original target, the distinctive "T"-shaped Aioi Bridge.. Everyone inside the building was killed instantly.
The Genbaku Dome, originally close to Shima Surgical Clinic was initially scheduled to be demolished with the rest of the ruins, but the fact that it mostly was intact delayed these plans. As Hiroshima was rebuilt around the dome, it became a subject of controversy — some locals wanted it torn down, while others wanted to preserve it as a memorial of the bombing.
Read more about this topic: Hiroshima Peace Memorial
Famous quotes containing the words atomic and/or bombing:
“Quite often ... these little guys, who might be making atomic weapons or who might be guilty of some human rights violation ... are looking for someone to listen to their problems and help them communicate.”
—Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter, Jr.)
“Did all of us feel interested in bombing buildings only when the men we slept with were urging us on?”
—Jane Alpert (b. 1947)