THE ATOMIC BOMB (c.1950)

This 3-minute educational capsule takes us to Bikini Atoll, a remote Pacific island that became the center of U.S. nuclear testing after World War II. Beginning in 1946, the U.S. detonated a series of atomic bombs over and under the lagoon, turning the peaceful atoll into a proving ground for the nuclear age.

The film shows how Operation Crossroads marked the start of these tests—giant mushroom clouds rising over warships anchored in the lagoon, shockwaves tearing through the water, and radioactive fallout spreading across the Pacific. While presented as scientific progress, the tests displaced the native Bikini people from their homeland and left behind an environmental legacy that still lingers today.

Short, stark, and sobering, this capsule reflects the optimism and fear of the atomic era—when the race for power reshaped both the world and the tiny islands that hosted its experiments.

⚠️ Disclaimer: This film is presented for historical and educational purposes only. It reflects the knowledge, attitudes, and government perspectives of its original era.

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