Actual color photo of Hiroshima after the bombing
It is World War II. Nazi Germany has already been defeated. The Empire of Japan, however, is holding out. American forces have reached Okinawa, just 400 miles from the Japanese home Islands.
President Harry S Truman has demanded that Japan surrender. They have refused. So, at 8:15 AM local time, the Enola Gay, a B-29 Superfortress, drops a uranium bomb codenamed Little Boy on the port city of Hiroshima, a tactical choice that would not only kill as many people as possible, but her Japan's war effort. The bomb had roughly the force of 15,000 tons of TNT -- 15 kilotons. It is estimated that 66,000 people were killed instantly, and another 100,000 or so may have died of radiation poisoning within the next year.
Despite this destruction, Japan still did not surrender. So a 2nd bomb, a 21-kiloton plutonium bomb codenamed Fat Man, was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9. As a smaller city to begin with, about 40,000 were killed at once, and at least thst many through radiation sickness.
Finally, on August 14, fearful that the capital of Tokyo, which had already sustained terrible damage as a result of incendiary bombs, Japan surrendered.
As part of the U.S. occupation of Japan, both cities were rebuilt. Today, Hiroshima is a thriving city of about 1.2 million. Nagasaki is now home to about 400,000.
Truman knew that the bombings were necessary. Had they not happened, the Allies were scheduled to invade the home islands on November 1. The estimates Truman had received suggested they would kill 500,000 to 1 million Allied troops, and at least that many Japanese troops, and that victory might not be achieved until well into 1946. So, as horrific as the bombings were, they saved lives, and shortened the war.
In spite of a few close calls between America and the Soviet Union, atomic bombs have never been used in warfare again. May that remain so.
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August 6, 1945 was a Monday. It was the offseason for the NFL and the NHL, and the NBA wouldn't be founded for another year. Monday is often a travel day in baseball, and only 4 teams were in action, with the 3 teams then in New York City not among them. However, Harrah's of teams that did play played doubleheaders.
* One was played at Comiskey Park in Chicago. The Detroit Tigers, who would go on to win the World Series that year, won the opener over the Chicago White Sox, 6-2. The Pale Hose would rebound in the nightcap, winning 7-0.
* The other was played at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis. Despite being the defending American League Champions for the only season in their history (until moving to become the Baltimore Orioles in 1954), on this day, the St. Louis Browns got swept by the Cleveland Indians. The Tribe win the 1st game 9-7, and the 2nd game 8-4.