dec 29, 1959 - Big Ivan/Tsar Bomba test

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The Tsar Bomba test,which was conducted by the Soviet Union on October 30, 1961 is the most powerful man-made explosion in history. The hydrogen bomb was detonated near the Arctic Circle, over the island known as Novaya Zemlya. The bomb was created at an extremely tense period of the cold war and was meant to show what kind of power the Soviets had. The bomb had an incredible 100-megaton capacity, however was considered too dangerous for testing due to the insurmountable fallout, so it was reduced to 50 megatons which is 3,800 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on hiroshima. (Tikkanen). The 27 ton bomb was carried in a special kind of plane, and the bomb was equipped with a parachute so the pilot could get to a safe distance before the explosion. When detonated the mushroom cloud was 60 miles wide at the largest point and 40 miles high penetrating the stratosphere. The bomb vaporized everything within 3 miles of the explosion, and shattered windows all the way in Norway and Finland (National).




Works Cited
National WWII Museum. “Tsar Bomba: The Largest Atomic Test in World History.” The National WWII Museum, 29 August 2020, https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/tsar-bomba-largest-atomic-test-world-history. Accessed 23 February 2025.

Tikkanen, Amy. “Tsar Bomba | History, Location, Megatons, & Facts.” Britannica, 13 February 2025, http://britannica.com/topic/Tsar-Bomba. Accessed 23 February 2025.

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