Stories about Manhattan Project Legacies

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) was the only structure left standing in the area where the first atomic bomb exploded on August 6, 1945.

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The Manhattan Project’s legacies echo all around us. This massive wartime effort launched the nuclear age. The three major communities of the Manhattan Project—Hanford, Los Alamos and Oak Ridge—are legacies that are still shaping future generations and are now part of Manhattan Project National Historical Park. Nuclear technology is now a common part of daily life. Its diverse applications include treating cancers, developing vaccines, powering cities, and detecting smoke in our homes. There are also the legacies of radioactive waste and the health effects of working around radiation or living near nuclear test sites. But one of the most tragic legacies of the Manhattan Project was the loss of life at Hiroshima and Japan. More than 200,000 people died by the end of 1945 as a direct result of the atomic bombings. The Manhattan Project’s legacies are as complex as its science. Learn more about them below.