Little Boy: The First Atomic Bomb

August 6, 2020, marks the 75th anniversary of the dropping of the first atomic bomb. Today’s post comes from Michael J. Hancock, an archives technician at the National Archives at College Park, MD.  Two American atomic bombs ended World War II in August 1945, and the devastation will be forever remembered. In an instant when … Continue reading Little Boy: The First Atomic Bomb

The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis

July 30, 2020, marks the 75th Anniversary of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis. Today’s post comes from Michael J. Hancock, archives technician at the National Archives at College Park, MD. Sometimes a movie can provide a history lesson in its story arc—an event that few in the audience are familiar with. Such is the … Continue reading The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis

Harry Truman and The Bomb

Today’s post is from Lee Lacy, an Assistant Professor at the U.S. Army Command & General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.  When Harry S. Truman was told on April 12, 1945, by Eleanor Roosevelt that her husband, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, was dead, Truman reacted true to form. He asked if there was anything he … Continue reading Harry Truman and The Bomb

Fat Man, Little Boy, A Packet of Jell-O

A search for "Rosenberg" in the Open Public Access system of the National Archives brings up a strange and poignant collection of documents: a passport picture of a family with the mother clutching a tiny infant, childlike sketches of shapes, a smiling couple, and an empty Jell-O box. In September 1949, the White House announced the … Continue reading Fat Man, Little Boy, A Packet of Jell-O