Nagasaki was the second target of an atomic bomb during the 1945 attacks on Japan.
The United States dropped the plutonium implosion weapon called Fat Man on Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. The first atomic bomb, Little Boy, had been dropped on Hiroshima three days earlier, on August 6. Nagasaki was not the original primary target that morning: Kokura was listed first, but cloud and smoke obscured the aiming point, so the aircraft proceeded to its secondary target.
Nagasaki’s geography limited the bomb’s effects compared with what might have occurred over a flatter city, but the destruction and loss of life were still catastrophic. The city contained major industrial facilities, including shipyards and arms production.
The bombings formed part of the rapidly escalating crisis that also included the Soviet declaration of war. Historians continue to debate how each factor influenced Japan’s decision, but the surrender announcement came on August 15.