Hiroshima was struck by the first atomic bomb used in warfare on 6 August 1945.
The United States dropped the uranium gun-type bomb Little Boy from the B-29 bomber Enola Gay. The explosion devastated much of Hiroshima, a major military and industrial center in western Japan. Large numbers of civilians were killed immediately or died later from injuries and radiation exposure.
The bombing came during a crisis in Japan’s leadership. The Soviet Union declared war on Japan on 8 August and began military operations on 9 August. The United States then dropped a second atomic bomb, Fat Man, on Nagasaki on 9 August. These events, together with Japan’s military position and the Soviet intervention, shaped the surrender decision.
Hiroshima is sometimes described as the place where the war ended, but Japan did not sign the formal surrender there. Emperor Hirohito announced acceptance of the Allied terms on 15 August, and Japanese representatives signed the Instrument of Surrender aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on 2 September.