US DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY/ED WESTCOTT
More than 500,000 people contributed to the Manhattan Project including workers, scientists, engineers, and political leaders. The Manhattan Project affected hundreds of thousands more through the world’s first nuclear detonation and the atomic bombings of Japan in 1945. Since then, Manhattan Project legacies have unfolded to produce beneficial applications for people while obligating future generations to address challenges such as nuclear waste cleanup and long-term storage. Explore the Manhattan Project through the lens of the people who lived through it as well as the successive generations who are forging ahead in a world that the Manhattan Project forever changed.
Explore people through the categories below or by the three park sites. 
African Americans
Learn about African Americans who played an integral role in the Manhattan Project. 
Atomic Bomb Survivors
Learn about the people impacted by the atomic bombings of Japan. 
Downwinders
Learn about people who lived near nuclear test and production sites. 
Hispanics
Learn about the Hispanics that were impacted by the creation of the Manhattan Project. 
Leaders
Meet the civilian, political, and military leaders who influenced the trajectory of the Manhattan Project. 
Scientists & Engineers
Learn about the scientists and engineers who launched the atomic age. 
Tribal Nations
Learn about the Tribal nations that have connections to Hanford, Los Alamos, and Oak Ridge. 
Women
Learn about the women who played a key role in the Manhattan Project. 
Workers
Learn about workers from all different backgrounds who formed the backbone of the Manhattan Project. 
Hanford
Meet the people of Hanford from those who pre-date the Manhattan Project to those who became intertwined with its legacies. 
Los Alamos
Discover the people of Los Alamos from civilians to the military to the locals who were drawn into the orbit of the Manhattan Project. 
Oak Ridge
Learn about the people of Oak Ridge from the Calutron girls to those who helped build a secret city seemingly overnight. |
Last updated: February 21, 2024