August 1945

Wednesday 01:

Mel Ott becomes the third member of the 500 home run club with a home run at the Polo Grounds in New York, New York.

Thursday 02:

World War II: Potsdam Conference, in which the Allied Powers discuss the future of defeated Germany, concludes.

Monday 06:

World War II: the Atomic bombing of Hiroshima. An atomic bomb codenamed Little Boy is dropped by the American B-29 Enola Gay on the city of Hiroshima in Japan at 8:16 a.m., killing 80,000 outright with another 60,000 dead by the end of the year due to fallout sickness. Ultimately, about 200,000 die due to the atomic bomb.

Tuesday 07:

President Harry Truman announces the successful bombing of Hiroshima with a atomic bomb while returning from the Potsdam Conference aboard the heavy cruiser USS Augusta (CA-31) in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

Wednesday 08:

The United Nations Charter is ratified by the United States, and that nation becomes the third to join the new international organization.

Thursday 09:

World War II: An atomic bomb nicknamed "Fat Man", with an energy of 92 terajoules (22,000 tons of TNT), is dropped by the B-29 Bockscar on the city of Nagasaki, Japan at 11:02 AM (local time). An estimated 70,000-90,000 are killed and 80,000 more are injured.

Tuesday 14:

Japan accepts the Allied terms of surrender in World War II and the Emperor records the Imperial Rescript on Surrender (August 15 in Japan standard time).

Wednesday 15:

World War II: Korean Liberation Day

Friday 17:

Indonesia proclaims itself independent from the Netherlands.

Sunday 19:

Vietnam War: Viet Minh led by Ho Chi Minh take power in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Thursday 30:

Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces, General Douglas MacArthur lands at Atsugi Air Force Base.