J. Robert Oppenheimer: The Father of the Atomic Bomb

Early Life and Education

Julius Robert Oppenheimer, better known as J. Robert Oppenheimer, was born on April 22, 1904, in New York City. He showed an early aptitude for science and mathematics, and in 1922, he enrolled in Harvard University.

Manhattan Project

After completing his doctorate at the University of Göttingen in Germany, Oppenheimer returned to the United States in 1929. In 1942, he was appointed scientific director of the Manhattan Project, the U.S. government's top-secret program to develop the atomic bomb.

Atomic Bomb and Aftermath

Under Oppenheimer's leadership, the team at Los Alamos, New Mexico, successfully developed the first nuclear weapons. The first atomic bomb was detonated in the Trinity test on July 16, 1945, and two more were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ending World War II.

Legacy

Oppenheimer's role in the Manhattan Project remains controversial. He expressed remorse for the devastation caused by the atomic bombs, and in 1954, his security clearance was revoked by the Atomic Energy Commission. Despite this, he continued to work as a physicist and advisor to the government until his death in 1967.