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Hiroshima diorama illustrating the extent of damage from the atomic bomb, dropped August 6, 1945 (red ball at top of photo depicts the atomic bomb) Hiroshima Museum Hiroshima, Japan April 1980 Hiroshima following the denotation of the atomic bomb August 6, 1945 (photo taken from a museum display - April 1980) Hiroshima following the denotation of the atomic bomb August 6, 1945 (photo taken from a museum display - April 1980) According to Wikipedia , within the first two to four months of the bombings, the acute effects of the bombs killed 90,000–166,000 people in Hiroshima and 60,000–80,000 in Nagasaki, with roughly half of the deaths in each city occurring on the first day. Those who survived the blast(s) suffered  radiation illness , cancer, and disfigurement the remainder of their lives. Survivors' stories can be found here . Like all wars, World War II changed the world in many ways, and individuals from all the countries involved suffered greatly, dire...

Thousands of Origami Cranes Hiroshima Peace Park Memorial Hiroshima, Japan April 1980 I've posted about Hiroshima several times: those posts can be seen here

Hiroshima Peace Memorial (A-bomb Dome) Hiroshima, Japan April 1980 One of the most emotional tours I took while in Japan was in Hiroshima, the site where the first atomic bomb was dropped; thus, ending World War II. Photos from those tours will be posted in the weeks ahead. According to Wikipedia :     At 8:15 on August 6, 1945, Little Boy — the first atomic bomb to be used in war — detonated almost directly above the dome (shown the the photo above) . The building's vertical columns were able to resist the nearly vertical downward force of the blast, and parts of the concrete and brick outer walls remained intact. The center of the blast was displaced 490 feet (150 m) horizontally and 1,968 feet (600 m) vertically from the dome, having slightly missed the original target, the distinctive "T"-shaped Aioi Bridge. Everyone inside the building was killed instantly.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park Hiroshima, Japan April 1980 History is a vast early warning system.   ~ Norman Cousins ~ Each time history repeats itself, the price goes up. ~ Author Unknown ~ The  Memorial Cenotaph can be seen in the center of this photo, and the A-bomb Dome is directly behind it.

Thousands of Origami Crane Strings hang in the Hiroshima Peace Park Memorial April 1980 Please note the girl at the top of this memorial holds a large crane. That girl is the likeness of Sadako Sasaki . Wikipedia states, the thousand origami cranes were popularized through the story of Sadako Sasaki, a Japanese girl who was two years old when she was exposed to radiation from the atomic bombing of Hiroshima during World War II. Sasaki soon developed leukemia and, at age 12, inspired by the senbazuru legend, began making origami cranes with the goal of making one thousand.  In a popular version of the story as told in the book Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, she folded only 644 before her death; in her honor, her classmates felt sorry and agreed to complete the rest for her.