Permanent historical factsheet

Nuclear Power

United States of America · Warfare / Nuclear. Chronological records rendered directly from the World History Database.

44Records
1945–2007Date range
12Named people
6Places

Chronological records

1945

Thomas F Farrell16 July 1945

Warfare / Nuclear

Witnesses the test nuclear explosion & says, "the war is over"

1952

Harry S Truman22 April 1952

Warfare / Nuclear

The biggest atomic bomb yet is exploded watched on television by 35 million

1953

Harry S Truman7 January 1953

Warfare / Nuclear

Truman announces that the US had developed the hydrogen bomb

1954

Dwight David Eisenhower1 March 1954

Warfare / Nuclear

The US carries out the first hydrogen bomb test in Bikini Atoll

Dwight David Eisenhower24 March 1954

Warfare / Nuclear

According to Eisenhower the hydrogen bomb test exceeds all expectations

1955

Dwight David Eisenhower10 March 1955

Warfare / Nuclear

Eisenhower indicates willingness to resort to nuclear weapons in the event of war

1960

Dwight David Eisenhower23 January 1960

Goldsboro · Warfare / Nuclear

A B-52 bomber carrying two 24 megaton bombs crashes, one of the bombs, five of six interlocking safety devices fail, and a single switch prevents detonation, the explosion would have been 1,800 times more powerful than Hiroshima

Dwight David EisenhowerDecember 1960

Warfare / Nuclear

The Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff complete SIOP-62, plans for the launch of more than 3,000 nuclear weapons, including hundreds of hydrogen bombs, to attack in the first few hours of conflict 1,000 targets in Communist countries

1961

Dwight David Eisenhower15 September 1961

Warfare / Nuclear

The United States nuclear testing moratorium ends

Dwight David Eisenhower20 September 1961

Warfare / Nuclear

The United States and the Soviet Union sign a "Joint Statement of Agreed Principles for Disarmament Negotiations," the McCloy-Zorin Accords

Dwight David Eisenhower20 December 1961

Warfare / Nuclear

The United Nations General Assembly adopts the McCloy-Zorin Accords

John Fitzgerald Kennedy1961

Warfare / Nuclear

B-52 & B-47 nuclear bombers placed on crisis footing & half are on a 15 minute alert. Announces doubled Minuteman production

1962

John Fitzgerald Kennedy17 July 1962

Warfare / Nuclear

The US performs nuclear tests at the Nevada test site

McGeorge Bundy14 October 1962

Warfare / Nuclear

A U-2 spy photographs the secret site where Russian missiles will be located in Cuba

1963

John Fitzgerald Kennedy1963

Warfare / Nuclear

France refuses to join the Anglo-American nuclear pact. Agrees to sell Polaris to Britain

1973

Gerald Ford22 June 1973

Warfare / Nuclear

The Agreement between the United States and the Soviet Union on the Prevention of Nuclear War enters into force, the major policy objectives are "to remove the danger of nuclear war and the use of nuclear weapons"

1974

Gerald Ford9 November 1974

Moscow · Warfare / Nuclear

A simulated missile attack accidentally fed into the American early warning system fools operators, during the six minutes it takes to discover that the attack is not authentic, fighters from bases in the United States and Canada take off

Gerald Ford23 November 1974

Warfare / Nuclear

President Gerald Ford and General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev sign the Vladivostok Accord, which establishes a framework for future Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT II) between the United States and the Soviet Union

1979

Jimmy Carter18 June 1979

Vienna · Warfare / Nuclear

The completed SALT II agreement is signed by President Carter & General Secretary Brezhnev. Negotiated for 7 years & finally signed by the US & Russia, but never ratified

Jimmy Carter1979

Vienna · Warfare / Nuclear

The US does not ratify the Treaty after Russia Afghanistans in Dec 1979, Carter & Reagan agree to comply with the provisions if Russia reciprocates. The primary goal of SALT II is to replace the Interim Agreement with a long-term comprehensive Treaty providing broad limits on strategic offensive weapons systems. Senate fails to ratify SALT II

Jimmy Carter1979

Symington · Warfare / Nuclear

Ceases economic assistance to non-nuclear weapon countries that import uranium-enrichment technology

1980

Jimmy Carter3 January 1980

Warfare / Nuclear

Carter requests the Senate majority leader to delay consideration of the Treaty on the Senate floor in view of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Carter announces the US will comply with the provisions of the Treaty as long as Russia reciprocates, Brezhnev make a similar statement

1982

Ronald Wilson ReaganMay 1982

Warfare / Nuclear

President Reagan states he will do nothing to undercut the SALT agreements as long as the Soviet Union shows equal restraint

1983

Ronald Wilson Reagan23 March 1983

Warfare / Nuclear

Outlines his Strategic Defence Initiative to defend the US & allies

1984

Ronald Wilson Reagan1984

Warfare / Nuclear

Reagan declares that the Soviet Union had violated its political commitment to observe the SALT II Treaty

1985

Ronald Wilson Reagan8 January 1985

Warfare / Nuclear

Agrees to negotiate for nuclear disarmament with Moscow

1988

Ronald Wilson ReaganMay 1988

Moscow · Warfare / Nuclear

The fourth meeting between Reagan & Gorbachev. INF Treaty ratification documents are exchanged between Russia & the USA

1991

George Herbert Walker Bush28 July 1991

Warfare / Nuclear

President Bush warns Iraq it would be making "an enormous mistake" if it failed to disclose its nuclear weapons program to United Nations inspectors

George Herbert Walker Bush31 July 1991

Warfare / Nuclear

Bush & Gorbachev sign the Strategic Arms Reduction

George Herbert Walker Bush27 September 1991

Warfare / Nuclear

Announces cuts in nuclear weapons

1992

George Walker Bush29 January 1992

Warfare / Nuclear

Bush an Yeltsin cap the first day of their Washington summit by announcing their countries had agreed to slash their long-range nuclear arsenals by two-thirds

George Walker Bush17 June 1992

Warfare / Nuclear

Bush an Yeltsin sign an arms reduction agreement, Yeltsin pledges to find American prisoners of war still held in Russia

1999

William Jefferson Bill Clinton6 January 1999

Warfare / Nuclear

Washington officials say agents on arms inspection teams discovered secret weapons programs

William Jefferson Bill Clinton12 January 1999

Warfare / Nuclear

The US imposes sanctions on three institutions accused of helping Iran and possibly other nations to develop nuclear weapons and missiles

2001

George Walker BushSeptember 2001

Warfare / Nuclear

A report by CIA accuses Iran of having one of the world's most active programmes to acquire nuclear weapons

2002

George Walker BushSeptember 2002

Warfare / Nuclear

Russian technicians begin construction of Irans first nuclear reactor at Bushehr despite strong objections from US

George Walker Bush17 December 2002

Warfare / Nuclear

Orders the construction by 2004 of a limited missile defense shield

George Walker BushDecember 2002

Natanz · Warfare / Nuclear

The US accuses Iran of seeking to develop a secret nuclear weapons programme and publishes satellite images of two nuclear sites under construction at Natanz and Arak

2003

George Walker BushJune 2003

Warfare / Nuclear

White House refuses to rule out the "military option" in dealing with Iran after IAEA says Iran "failed to report certain nuclear materials and activities"

2004

George Walker Bush5 January 2004

Warfare / Nuclear

Officials declare Pakistani scientists gave Libya technology to build nuclear weapons

2005

Condoleezza RiceJune 2005

Warfare / Nuclear

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says IAEA head Mohamed ElBaradei should either toughen his stance on Iran or fail to be chosen for a third term as IAEA head

2006

George Walker BushMarch 2006

Warfare / Nuclear

US National Security Strategy decries Iran, stating that "Iran has violated its Non-proliferation Treaty safeguards obligations and refuses to provide objective guarantees that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes

Condoleezza RiceMarch 2006

Warfare / Nuclear

US National Security Strategy decries Iran, stating that "Iran has violated its Non-proliferation Treaty safeguards obligations and refuses to provide objective guarantees that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes

2007

George Walker Bush13 February 2007

Beijing · Warfare / Nuclear

At a meeting with diplomats from the US, China, South Korea, Russia, and Japan, North Korea agrees to dismantle its nuclear facilities and allow international inspectors to enter the country in exchange for about $400 million in oil and aid

Names involved

Condoleezza RiceDwight David EisenhowerGeorge Herbert Walker BushGeorge Walker BushGerald FordHarry S TrumanJimmy CarterJohn Fitzgerald KennedyMcGeorge BundyRonald Wilson ReaganThomas F FarrellWilliam Jefferson Bill Clinton

Provenance

This factsheet is generated from stored World History Database records matching the country, broad category, detailed category and exact Event value shown above. Duplicate display records are collapsed; database wording is otherwise preserved. Source provenance varies by record, so formal academic citation should be checked against the relevant primary source, archive or specialist historical reference.