Timeline of Nuclear Science

The neutron is important in nuclear reactions as it bonds to protons in nuclear reactions causing heavier elements able to be produced

A Radionuclide is an atom with an unstable nucleus. All of the heaviest elements exist only in the form of man-made Radionuclides

The neutron was discovered to be much more useful in creating Radionuclides as it made a much larger range of them

Nuclear Fission, the splitting of atoms into lighter elements, was discovered and researched by Lise Meitner, Otto Frisch, Niels Bohr, Otto Hahn and Fritz Stassman.

Albert Einstein wrote to US President Franklin Roosevelt to warn him about the Nazi efforts to create nuclear weapons from purified Uranium.

The explosion was caused by Fission, validating previous research

A massive nuclear weapons project

The immense damage caused by the two bombs sparked the surrender of the Japanese in WWII and began a new era of fear in weapon development after over 200,000 people die

US President Harry Truman allows Nuclear Power to be used by the public

The U.S. Army's Oak Ridge facility in Tennessee ships the first nuclear-reactor-produced radioisotopes for peacetime civilian use to Brainard Cancer Hospital in St. Louis

A huge nuclear arms race between the USSR and US

The University of Chicago and the Westinghouse Corporation’s Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory in Pittsburgh plan to allow consumer use in the form of electricity

Experimental Breeder Reactor 1 in the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory produces the first usable amount of electricity

US President Dwight Eisenhower proposed the Atoms for Peace program planning to make nuclear energy peaceful

An amendment to the Atomic Energy Act of 1946 allowing private companies to oversee their own plants

Nuclear reactor in Idaho

International Atomic Energy Agency is formed to promote the idea of peaceful nuclear power

Large scale power outs in the Northeast US cause Nuclear Reactors to start providing large amounts of power, causing them to be recognized as a great alternative

In Chernobyl, Ukraine, a massive nuclear meltdown caused massive fires spreading radioactive waste through the air. Over 750,000 people were poisoned while 30 operators were killed on site.

Today, nuclear mechanics are everywhere. Lights, signals and even the sun are all forms of radiation in frequency. X-Ray machines, nuclear medicines and radiation therapies are all huge parts of the medical field. Chemotherapy is treatment for cancer patients via nuclear radiation. Moisture, thickness and volume are all factors manufacturers taken into mind when manufacturing; radioactive materials help measure it. Many lights today in public and military use involve radioactive materials such as neon or tritium. Radon is a common paint ingredient. Nuclear radiation is used in agriculture to increase the lifespan of plants and kill invading insects. Archeologists use carbon dating to estimate what age a certain item is by identifying the amount of decay that a certain material has radiated. Even common household appliances such as smoke detectors use nuclear mechanics in them. Nuclear weapons are still produced and materials derived from radioactive materials are used for vehicles and gear for the military. Over a thousand nuclear power plants are active around the world.