In 1938, word spread that the Germans had discovered fission. Many people thought that Hitler would attempt to create an atomic bomb, but Hitler had killed all of the intelligent Jewish scientists in the concentration camps. Some scientists moved to the United States to seek freedom and Albert Einstein was one of them. He urged President Franklin Roosevelt to create an atomic bomb before the Germans. Roosevelt agreed and the project became codenamed The Manhattan Project.
This project took place from 1942 to 1945. The first involvement with the government was when G.B. Pegram from Columbia University set up a meeting between Enrico Fermi and the Navy Department in early 1939. In mid 1939, Albert Einstein was encouraged by other scientists to show President Roosevelt his fission chain reaction, and in February 1940, 6,000 dollars was set aside to start research. A United States physicist, Robert Oppenheimer and General Leslie R. Groves were in charge of this project. In 1942, the Corps' of Engineers Manhattan District was assigned to construct manufacturing facilities where the project could be carried out. Overall, The Manhattan Project employed 130,000 workers and cost the United States almost 2 billion dollars.
The first bomb ever tested was an implosion-type bomb at the Trinity test. It took place at Alamogordo Bombing and Gunnery Range on July 16, 1945. After the war, the Manhattan Project invented new weapons, supported research of radiology and paved a path for the nuclear navy. In January 1947, the United States Atomic Energy Commission took control.
This project took place from 1942 to 1945. The first involvement with the government was when G.B. Pegram from Columbia University set up a meeting between Enrico Fermi and the Navy Department in early 1939. In mid 1939, Albert Einstein was encouraged by other scientists to show President Roosevelt his fission chain reaction, and in February 1940, 6,000 dollars was set aside to start research. A United States physicist, Robert Oppenheimer and General Leslie R. Groves were in charge of this project. In 1942, the Corps' of Engineers Manhattan District was assigned to construct manufacturing facilities where the project could be carried out. Overall, The Manhattan Project employed 130,000 workers and cost the United States almost 2 billion dollars.
The first bomb ever tested was an implosion-type bomb at the Trinity test. It took place at Alamogordo Bombing and Gunnery Range on July 16, 1945. After the war, the Manhattan Project invented new weapons, supported research of radiology and paved a path for the nuclear navy. In January 1947, the United States Atomic Energy Commission took control.