The Manhattan Project

In 1941, the United States and Nazi Germany were locked in a desperate race to see who could develop an atomic bomb. This weapon was theoretically possible, and scientists and military leaders both saw the tremendous power and potential danger of atomic energy.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order that created the Office of Scientific Research and Development. This office, including the Manhattan Engineering District, developed radar and guided missiles, and created the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.

The controversial bombings ended the war with Japan, which led to an unprecedented loss of life.