Today In History: Black Rain

During World War II, at 8:15 a.m. on August 6, 1945, a United States Army B-29 named Enola Gay dropped a single atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan.

More than 140,000 people perished when the explosive, nicknamed "Little Boy," detonated over Hiroshima. Some died instantly, vaporized by the intense heat. Others died later of bomb-related causes. Many of the survivors were crippled, burned or victims of radiation sickness.

The bomb blast covered an area of more than five square miles. Black rain, or what was really smoke and radioactive dust mixed with water, fell for hours.

In 1945, the population of Hiroshima exceeded 400,000, and the city was viewed as an important military and industrial center.

The destruction of Hiroshima, followed three days later by an atomic blast on the Japanese city of Nagasaki, precipitated the surrender of Japan and the end of World War II on September 2, 1945.