9 August: Nagasaki Day 2022 and its Significance

OV Digital Desk
4 Min Read
Nagasaki Day

Atomic bomb mushroom clouds over Hiroshima (left) and Nagasaki (right)

Nagasaki Day is observed every year on August 9 to promote peace politics and raise awareness of the effects of the bomb attack on Nagasaki. Nagasaki city was attacked by atomic weapons that killed thousands of lives instantly. It is the 77th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the Japanese city.

The theme of Nagasaki Day 2022

Nagasaki Day is observed on 9 August every year to mark the anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. There is no specific theme for the day.

Quick facts atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Here are quick facts about India Partition:

  • On 6 and 9 August 1945, the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively.
  • The US dropped a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945, killing 140,000 people.
  • Three days later, on 9 August 1945, it dropped another bomb on Nagasaki, killing nearly 74,000 people.
  • World War II ended on 15 August 1945 when Japan surrendered to the allies.
  • The Soviet Union tested its first nuclear bomb four years later, in 1949. The UK followed in 1952, France in 1960, and China in 1964.
What is the state of nuclear weapons today?

Nine countries possess more than 13,000 nuclear warheads as of 2022. Due to government confidentiality, it is difficult to determine the exact number of these bombs.

As reported by the International Campaign to Abolish nuclear weapons (ICAN), Russia possesses 6,255 nuclear warheads, the highest number in the world. It is followed by the United States with 5,550 such bombs. China is ranked third with 350 nuclear warheads. Over 90 per cent of the nuclear weapons in the world are owned by the United States and Russia combined.

There are several other countries that possess or claim to possess nuclear weapons, including France, the United Kingdom, Pakistan, India, Israel, and North Korea.

There are five other nations that host American nuclear warheads. Turkey, Italy, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands are among them. According to the list, Turkey holds 50 warheads, the most on the list.

However, the list does not end here. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) are authorized to use nuclear weapons on behalf of 27 countries. Among these 27 countries are Australia, Belgium, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and Spain.

After the Soviet Union was dismantled in 1991, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine received nuclear warheads. After joining the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1994, they returned the warheads to Russia.

History of Nagasaki Day

The United States detonated two atomic bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August 1945, respectively. It was code-named “Fat Man” due to the design of the bomb as it had a wide, round shape. On August 9, 1945, a US B-29 bomber dropped an atomic bomb on the city, killing nearly 20,000 people. The year 2022 will mark the 77th anniversary of the incident and will pay tribute to all those who lost their lives in the attack or were left alive to die slowly in the horrible nuclear radiation.

Nagasaki Day is a day to commemorate the victims of the Nagasaki bombing and to remember the lessons that can be learned from the event. It is also a day to promote peace and global understanding.

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