‘Fat Man’ was the name given to the atomic bomb which was exploded 500m above the city of Nagasaki, Japan in August 1945. The bombing of Nagasaki caused widespread death and destruction. The bomb containing a core of plutonium was only the second of two nuclear bombs ever used.

The bombing of Nagasaki took place three days after the city of Hiroshima was destroyed by a nuclear bomb. The two bombs were used by the United States against Japan towards the end of World War II. By the time the bombs were used the war in Europe was over. Germany had surrendered on May 8th 1945. However the Japanese had refused the call to surrender by the Allies and China.

The first atomic bomb called ‘Little Boy’, was dropped over the centre Hiroshima on August 6^th 1945. It led to the deaths of an estimated 70,000 people and destroyed 13 square kilometres of the city. Three days later the city of Nagasaki was the target of the second nuclear bomb. Called ‘Fat Man’, it caused widespread destruction and led to an estimated 40,000 people being killed outright. During the following months and years many more people died of radiation sickness.

A nuclear bomb, with the codename ‘Fat Man’, caused widespread death and destruction in the city of Nagasaki in the year 1945 On This Day.

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Nagasaki bomb 9 August 1945 by The Official CTBTO Photostream on 2008-12-21 16:31:09

Mata Hari was a native of the Netherlands. She was a professional dancer who also worked as a spy for the French government during World War I. However she was suspected by the French, of being a double agent. She was arrested and tried for being a German spy and executed by firing squad.

Mata Hari was born Margaretha Geertruida Zelle in Leeuwarden, Netherlands in 1876. She studied at a teachers college in Leiden. She later married Dutch army Captain Rudolph MacLeod and the couple lived in Java and Sumatra until 1902. They returned to Europe and following their separation Margaretha began to dance professionally in Paris under the name Mata Hari.

Mata Hari began to work as a spy for France in 1917. She agreed to use her meetings with Germans to glean information for the French authorities. She was however suspected of passing information to the Germans. She was arrested for being a double agent and found guilty by a military court in July 1917. Mata Hari was executed by firing squad on October 15^th 1917.

Mata Hari, a professional dancer who worked as a spy during World War I, was born in the year 1876 On This Day.

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Mata Hari

Photo by paukrus

Mata Hari in 1916

Richard Murphy was a poet who was a native of Mayo. He was a member of Aosdána and served as poet-in residence at nine American Universities. He died at his residence in Sri Lanka in 2018.

Richard Murphy, poet and member of Aosdána, was born at Milford House County Mayo in the year 1927 On This Day

Photo by Peter Mooney

The atomic bomb was used in war on just two occasions. The bombs were used on both occasions by the United States in 1945 against Japan towards the end of World War II. By the time the bombs were used the war in Europe was over. Germany had surrendered on May 8th 1945. However the Japanese had refused the call to surrender by the Allies and China.

Development of the atomic bomb was carried out under the Manhattan Project under the direction the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The director of the Los Alamos Project in New Mexico that designed the bomb was J. Robert Oppenheimer. The first nuclear device was successfully detonated in New Mexico on July 16th 1945. The Manhattan Project then produced the atomic weapons which were subsequently used to bomb, first Hiroshima and then Nagasaki a few days later.

The atomic bombs were transported to the Island of Tinian, one of Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean south of Japan. The first atomic bomb called ‘Little Boy’, was dropped over the centre Hiroshima. It led to the deaths of an estimated 70,000 people and destroyed 13 square kilometres of the city. During the following months many more people died of radiation sickness. A second atomic bomb was dropped three days after the first. Called ‘Fat Man’, it was dropped on the city of Nagasaki and eventually led to the deaths of an estimated 80,000 people. The destruction caused by the bombs together with the Soviet Union declaration of war on Japan led to Japan announcing its surrender on August 15th 1945.

The USA bomber Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima causing widespread death and destruction in the year 1945 On This Day.

Photo by Maarten1979

Hiroshima-after-the-bomb by Maarten1979 on 2009-09-10 15:10:53

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Boeing B-29 Superfortress “Bockscar” by ksr8s on 2010-10-19 14:30:29

Michael Banim writer and Kilkenny businessman was brother of the author John Banim. He collaborated with his brother on several writing projects but was the principal author of works such as The Croppy. He was Postmaster of Kilkenny for many years and served a term as Mayor of Kilkenny City. Michael Banim was born in Kilkenny in 1796 On This Day

Photo by Internet Archive Book Images

Photo by Internet Archive Book Images