This Day In History : August 6

1945 Japan

An atomic bomb is dropped on Hiroshima, Japan by the U.S. B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay

On August 6, 1945, during World War II, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The bomb, nicknamed "Little Boy," was dropped by the U.S. B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay. The devastating explosion resulted in the immediate deaths of approximately 70,000 people, with tens of thousands more succumbing to injuries, radiation sickness, and other related causes in the following years.

Also on This Day in History August 6

Discover what happened on August 6 with HISTORY's summaries of major events, anniversaries,
famous births and notable deaths.

Births on This Day, August 6
  • 1943 Jon Postel

    American computer scientist

  • 1881 Sir Alexander Fleming

    Scottish bacteriologist (invented penicillin; Nobel Prize 1945)

  • 1828 Andrew Taylor Still

    U.S. founder of osteopathy , who believed that remedies for disease are available in the correctly adjusted body

  • 1795 Heinrich Rose

    German chemist who named niobium (previously found in the mineral columbite by Charles Hatchett; he called it columbium)

  • 1766 William Hyde Wollaston

    English chemist and physicist (famous for discovering the chemical elements palladium and rhodium)

Deaths on This Day, August 6
  • 2007 Atle Selberg

    Norwegian mathematician (number theory)

  • 1954 David Fairchild

    American botanist and explorer (introduced over 200,000 plants to US)

  • 1925 Gregorio Ricci-Curbastro

    Italian mathematician (tensor analysis)

  • 1881 James Springer White

    American theologian (co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church)

  • 1993 Milton Orville Thompson

    American astronaut (Dynasoar, X-15), NASA test pilot and chief-engineer

1825

Bolivia gains their independence from Spain

Bolivia gained its independence from Spain on August 6, 1825. This marked the end of Spanish colonial rule in Bolivia and the beginning of its sovereignty as an independent nation.
1962

Jamaica becomes independent from the United Kingdom after 300 years of British rule

Jamaica gained independence from the United Kingdom on August 6, 1962, after approximately 300 years of British colonial rule. This significant event marked the birth of the independent nation of Jamaica, allowing the country to govern its own affairs and shape its own future.
1996

NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin announced the discovery of potential evidence of a primitive life form on Mars

Daniel Goldin, the NASA Administrator at the time, made the announcement about the potential evidence of a primitive life form on Mars on August 6, 1996. This announcement came after scientists studied a meteorite believed to have originated from Mars and found possible signs of microbial life within it.
1965

US President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act prohibiting voting discrimination against minorities

President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law on August 6, 1965. This landmark legislation aimed to prohibit racial discrimination in voting, particularly against African Americans who faced various barriers, such as literacy tests and poll taxes, that prevented them from exercising their right to vote.
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