October 1942
Los Alamos Laboratory
Is selected to direct bomb-design work at Los Alamos.
Historical place archive
Browse historical events and people recorded at Los Alamos in United States of America. The records below are rendered directly from the World History Database into this page's initial HTML.
Is selected to direct bomb-design work at Los Alamos.
Groves and Oppenheimer visit Los Alamos, New Mexico and designate it as the location for "Site Y
Groves and Oppenheimer visit Los Alamos, New Mexico and designate it as the location for "Site Y
Groves and Oppenheimer visit Los Alamos, New Mexico and designate it as the location for "Site Y
Groves and Oppenheimer visit Los Alamos, New Mexico and designate it as the location for "Site Y
Appointed head of the Manhattan Project by Roosevelt to develop the atomic bomb
Appointed head of the Manhattan Project by Roosevelt to develop the atomic bomb
Appointed head of the Manhattan Project by Roosevelt to develop the atomic bomb
Appointed head of the Manhattan Project by Roosevelt to develop the atomic bomb
Neddermeyer begins experimental work on implosion as a method of rapidly compressing a hollow fissile assembly.
Serber begins a series of introductory lectures explaining bomb physics and design to the newly arriving Los Alamos scientific staff.
A contract is concluded with the University of California to manage Los Alamos administration, procurement and payroll.
Navy Captain William Parsons arrives at Los Alamos to lead the Ordnance Division and direct gun-assembly development.
Neddermeyer conducts the first explosive experiment in the Los Alamos implosion research programme.
Los Alamos begins its first nuclear-physics experiment, measuring plutonium-239 fission-neutron yield and marking the laboratory's transition into active experimental work.
The Los Alamos gun-assembly programme fires its first test shot while concentrating on a high-velocity plutonium gun design.
Oppenheimer proposes recruiting explosives expert George Kistiakowsky to strengthen the expanding implosion programme.
Groves and Oppenheimer decide to plan a full-scale fission-bomb test, and Groves authorises construction of the massive steel vessel called Jumbo.
Kistiakowsky becomes a full-time Los Alamos staff member and takes leadership of the rapidly expanding implosion effort from Neddermeyer.
Fermi at Los Alamos tests the world's third reactor, LOPO, the first aqueous homogeneous reactor, and the first fueled by enriched uranium
Tests an enriched-uranium aqueous homogeneous reactor.
Fermi at Los Alamos tests the world's third reactor, LOPO, the first aqueous homogeneous reactor, and the first fueled by enriched uranium
Fermi at Los Alamos tests the world's third reactor, LOPO, the first aqueous homogeneous reactor, and the first fueled by enriched uranium
A successful test of the exploding-bridgewire detonator demonstrates a way to fire many implosion detonators with the required simultaneity.
Oppenheimer informs the Los Alamos staff that reactor plutonium's neutron background makes the plutonium gun design impractical and implosion must become the priority.
Birch takes charge of the uranium gun-weapon programme that will produce the Little Boy design.
Work begins on a precisely timed neutron initiator for the solid-core implosion weapon.
The first full Fat Man bomb assembly is completed for handling and airdrop practice, before nuclear material and final explosive lenses are available.
A senior design meeting fixes the plutonium bomb approach around a solid core, explosive lenses, electric detonators and a modulated neutron initiator.
Kistiakowsky reports that sub-scale tests have achieved the desired symmetrical compression for the implosion system.
A Raytheon Mark II X-Unit arrives for testing as part of the electrical firing system for the implosion bomb.
Second meeting of the Target Committee, at Los Alamos, which works to finalize the list of cities on which atomic bombs may be dropped
Second meeting of the Target Committee, at Los Alamos, which works to finalize the list of cities on which atomic bombs may be dropped
Second meeting of the Target Committee, at Los Alamos, which works to finalize the list of cities on which atomic bombs may be dropped
Second meeting of the Target Committee, at Los Alamos, which works to finalize the list of cities on which atomic bombs may be dropped
Parsons meets with Groves and Oppenheimer to finalise arrangements for delivering atomic weapons to the Pacific theatre.
Casting of the uranium-235 projectile component for Little Boy is completed.
Casting of the high-explosive lens components intended for the Trinity device is completed.
General Leslie Groves had commissioned Smyth to write the Report at Los Alamos during the Manhattan Project
General Leslie Groves had commissioned Smyth to write the Report at Los Alamos during the Manhattan Project
General Leslie Groves had commissioned Smyth to write the Report at Los Alamos during the Manhattan Project
General Leslie Groves had commissioned Smyth to write the Report at Los Alamos during the Manhattan Project
Oppenheimer resigns as director of Los Alamos, and is succeeded by Norris Bradbury
Oppenheimer resigns as director of Los Alamos, and is succeeded by Norris Bradbury
Oppenheimer resigns as director of Los Alamos, and is succeeded by Norris Bradbury
Oppenheimer resigns as director of Los Alamos, and is succeeded by Norris Bradbury
Provenance
These entries are generated from stored World History Database records whose country and place fields match United States of America and Los Alamos. Names, dates, event labels and descriptions are reviewed and normalised as the database develops. Historical place names may not match modern administrative boundaries.
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