THE "596": CHINA'S FIRST ATOMIC BOMB

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The date 1964-10-16 is a very meaningful date to the People's Republic of China. It is the day that China showed its true military power. It was the day on which China became the world's fifth nuclear nation. On November 16, 1964, China succesfully detonated its first atomic bomb. It was a 22-kiloton implosion-triggered device that used only Uranium-235 (which was the only fissile material available at that time), exploded over the Lop-Nur test site. At the time of the test, the U.S. had already threatened China five times with nuclear attack. So, WHAT NOW, America?

The Chinese nuclear program started in the late 1950s, and the code-name "02" was given by Communist chairman Mao Zedong. The bomb was set to detonate on a 102-meter high tower. The bomb was exploded at 7:00 GMT. The lesson for the day? DON'T MESS WITH CHINA!

*Interesting fact: China developed and detonated its own hydrogen bomb only TWO YEARS (shortest time for any country) after its first atomic bomb test. China also managed to design and build its own nuclear missiles.

This clip was taken from the documentary "Trinity And Beyond"

Directed By: Peter Kuran
Music By: William T. Stromberg
Narrated By: William Shatner