Atomic Age

Front cover of the book Atomic Energy and its Military Use — translation by Maurice Nahmias of several writings including the Smyth report — where the date 1946 precedes the mention "Year I of the Atomic Age".

The Atomic Age refers to the era that humans develop nuclear weapons and test it in the atmosphere and undergrounds. It began in 1942 with the Manhattan Project putting in place, including the ending of the Second World War by dropping two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and later on the Cold War.

This era can be ended by signing the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty which were signed by most countries on 24 September 1996. Though only three countries never signed it (North Korea, India and Pakistan) and another five nations who had signed but not ratified (China, Egypt, the United States, Iran and Israel).