Nagasaki was struck by the second atomic bomb used in warfare, on August 9, 1945.
The United States dropped the plutonium implosion weapon known as Fat Man over Nagasaki three days after the uranium bomb Little Boy destroyed much of Hiroshima. The attack targeted the industrial city after the primary target, Kokura, was obscured by cloud and smoke. The aircraft Bockscar released the bomb at approximately 11:02 a.m. local time.
The bombing caused enormous destruction and loss of life, although the exact death toll remains uncertain because people died immediately and from radiation-related injuries and illnesses. Nagasaki’s terrain, including hills and valleys, limited the blast’s effects in some areas compared with Hiroshima.
Japan announced acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration on August 15. Historians continue to debate how the atomic bombings, the Soviet entry into the Pacific War, and internal Japanese politics each influenced the surrender. Nagasaki today is an international center for peace education and remembrance.