Nagasaki Day 2024: History, Cause, Quotes, Quiz PDF

Nagasaki Prefecture, nestled in a serene harbour on the west coast of Kyushu Island in Japan, was once celebrated for its picturesque volcanoes, stunning offshore islands, and relaxing hot-spring spas. Until August 9, 1945, Nagasaki was a prominent tourist destination. However, that day, at 1:56 a.m., the city’s landscape was irrevocably altered by the detonation of the atomic bomb “Fat Man,” resulting in widespread devastation and countless casualties.

In the years that followed, the Nagasaki City Council has dedicated August 9th as Nagasaki Day to honor the memory of the second atomic bombing and its enduring impact. Each year, this day serves as a solemn reminder and an opportunity for world leaders to reaffirm their commitment to a nuclear-free world. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the Nagasaki Day 2024 commemorations will be scaled back, but the significance of the day remains profound.

In this blog, we delve into the history and causes of Nagasaki Day and offer an opportunity to test your knowledge with our free Nagasaki Day Quiz 2024.

Nagasaki Day 2024 Date: August 9

Nagasaki, once a picturesque coastal town on Kyushu Island, was renowned for its tiered houses perched on hillsides and its winding streets. As Japan’s second oldest port, it was a key gateway for foreign trade. During World War II, the city endured several air raids, but these attacks were largely non-fatal. However, on the night of August 9, just three days after the Hiroshima bombing, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki. The devastating blast claimed thousands of lives and left the city in ruins for years. Even decades later, the residents of Nagasaki continue to grapple with the lingering effects of radiation. Join us as we delve into the tragic events of that fateful day.

Nagasaki Day 2024 Date

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History of Nagasaki Day 2024

On August 06, 2024, Japan completed 77 years since it first suffered the world’s first atomic bomb attack on the city of Hiroshima, followed three days later by the second and last on Nagasaki. These fatal events lead to the much-needed end of world war II at the cost of over 2,00,000 lives and unimaginable loss of property. Nagasaki was a shipbuilding center and the second-largest port of Japan. At 11:02 a.m, on August 09, 1945, 1,650 feet above the city of Nagasaki, the United States Air force dropped the plutonium implosion bomb (“Fat Man”). The explosion unleashed the equivalent force of 22,000 tons of Trinitrotoluene (TNT).

The “Fat Man” bomb was somewhat more powerful than the one dropped over Hiroshima (Little Boy), but because of Nagasaki’s more uneven terrain, there was less damage. Six days after this historic event, Japan surrendered, ending World War Two. Harry S Truman, the then United States President ordered the Atomic Bombing over Japan. While giving the order, Truman decided that only bombing a city would make an adequate impression on the Japanese army. He wants to destroy Japan’s ability to fight wars, so he selects the target cities to keep in mind the military production areas. Mr. Truman makes sure to avoid any monuments or other places which hold cultural importance.

The primary target for the bomb was Kokura, but because of the smoky clouds the US moves the destination towards the scenic Nagasaki.  The Kokura city was obscured by clouds and smoke, as the nearby city of Yahata had been firebombed on the previous day. One of the steel plants in that area was set on fire on August 08. The Fat Man was dropped over the Urakami Valley which is midway between the Mitsubishi Steel and Arms Works and the Mitsubishi-Urakami Ordnance Works. The bomb gets exploded after 53 seconds making the whole area into ash clouds.

Nagasaki was one of the major shipbuilding ports in Japan. During World War II, the city manufactured weapons for the Japanese military. Two munitions factories (bombs, shells, cartridges, pyrotechnics, and screening smokes) were located there: the Mitsubishi Steel and Arms Works and the Mitsubishi-Urakami Torpedo Works. This makes the US selects Nagasaki as their second target. The US airforce uses a specially adapted B-29 bomber, called “Bockscar,” after its usual commander, Frederick Bock, took off from Tinian Island under the command of Maj. Charles W. Sweeney for the attack.

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Nagasaki Day 2024 Quotes

“At a time when the Japanese were pleading desperately for peace, Hiroshima and Nagasaki were atomized.”

“People are still bearing the scars of history; we are still experiencing the aftershock of Hiroshima.”

“Everything, save our ways of thinking, has changed as a result of the atom’s unleashed power, and we are now heading for an unprecedented catastrophe.”

Each positive value has a corresponding negative price… Hiroshima is the result of Einstein’s brilliance. -Spanish painter Pablo Picasso

“Let’s be alert-alert in two ways, therefore. Since Auschwitz, we are aware of the power of man.

“How do we prevent Iran from developing an atomic bomb on the American side, when nuclear dropping on Japan is not recognized as a war crime.”

“Now when we look back to Guildford of that time,  it seems much more exotic than Nagasaki.”

“In Nagasaki, American planes dropped the warning leaflets – but not till Aug 10, the day after the city was bombed.”

Nagasaki Day Quiz 2024

Access more Nagasaki Day Questions with its answers here

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1. Who was the United States president during the Hiroshima- Nagasaki bombing? Dwight D. Eisenhower Harry S Truman Lyndon B. Johnson Franklin D. Roosevelt

2. How many days after Hiroshima was Nagasaki bombed? 2 Days 3 Days 4 Days 5 Days

3. What is the name of the Atomic Bomb used in the Nagasaki bombing? Little Boy Fat Boy Fat Man Little Man

4. What was the name of the Atomic Bomb used in the Hiroshima bombing? Little Boy Fat Man Little Child Little Man

5. What was the project name which produced an atomic bomb by America for the first time? Manhattan Project Washington Project Project Japan Project Little Boy

6. Who was the Japanese Emperor who announced the surrender of Imperial Japan at world war II? Emperor Naruhito Emperor Hirohito Emperor Akshino Emperor Akhito

7. What do the Survivors of the atomic bombings are nicknamed? Akhishino Hirosush Hirohito Hibakusha

8. What is the estimated temperature neared the atomic blast? 1,000 degrees Celsius 100,000 degrees Celsius 18,000 degrees Celsius 7,000 degrees

9. When is the Nagasaki Day Observed? August 06 August 07 August 08 August 09

10. Who is the pilot who flew Bockscar carrying the Fat Man atomic bomb to the Japanese city of Nagasaki? Jimmy Doolittle Charles W. Sweeney Joe Foss Frank Luke

11. What was the weight of the Fat man atomic bomb? 9,700 pounds 11,700 pounds 700 pounds 7000 pounds

12. Which radioactive material was used in the manufacturing of the FatMan atomic bomb? Plutonium Uranium Radium Caesium

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