Template:Milestone nuclear explosions
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[edit] Milestone nuclear explosions
The following list is of milestone nuclear explosions. In addition to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the first nuclear test of a given weapon type for a country is included, and tests which were otherwise notable (such as the largest test ever). All yields (explosive power) are given in their estimated energy equivalents in kilotons of TNT (see megaton).
| Date | Name | Yield (kt) | Country | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 16 1945 | Trinity | 19 |  USA |
First fission weapon test |
| Aug 6 1945 | Little Boy | 15 | USA |
Bombing of Hiroshima, Japan |
| Aug 9 1945 | Fat Man | 21 | USA |
Bombing of Nagasaki, Japan |
| Aug 29 1949 | Joe 1 | 22 |  USSR |
First fission weapon test by the USSR |
| Oct 3 1952 | Hurricane | 25 |  UK |
First fission weapon test by the UK |
| Nov 1 1952 | Ivy Mike | 10,200 | USA |
First "staged" thermonuclear weapon test (not deployable) |
| Aug 12 1953 | Joe 4 | 400 | USSR |
First fusion weapon test by the USSR (not "staged", but deployable) |
| Mar 1 1954 | Castle Bravo | 15,000 | USA |
First deployable "staged" thermonuclear weapon; fallout accident |
| Nov 22 1955 | RDS-37 | 1,600 | USSR |
First "staged" thermonuclear weapon test by the USSR (deployable) |
| Nov 8 1957 | Grapple X | 1,800 | UK |
First (successful) "staged" thermonuclear weapon test by the UK |
| Feb 13 1960 | Gerboise Bleue | 60 |  France |
First fission weapon test by France |
| Oct 31 1961 | Tsar Bomba | 50,000 | USSR |
Largest thermonuclear weapon ever tested |
| Oct 16 1964 | 596 | 22 |  China |
First fission weapon test by China |
| Jun 17 1967 | Test No. 6 | 3,300 | China |
First "staged" thermonuclear weapon test by China |
| Aug 24 1968 | Canopus | 2,600 | France |
First "staged" thermonuclear test by France |
| May 18 1974 | Smiling Buddha | 12 |  India |
First fission nuclear explosive test by India |
| May 11 1998 | Shakti I | 43 | India |
First potential fusion/boosted weapon test by India (exact yields disputed, between 25kt and 45kt) |
| May 13 1998 | Shakti II | 12 | India |
First fission "weapon" test by India |
| May 28 1998 | Chagai-I | ~9 |  Pakistan |
First fission weapon test by Pakistan |
| Oct 9 2006 | Hwadae-ri | <1 |  North Korea |
First fission device tested by North Korea |
"Deployable" refers to whether the device tested could be hypothetically used in actual combat (in contrast with a proof-of-concept device). "Staging" refers to whether it was a "true" hydrogen bomb of the so-called Teller-Ulam configuration or simply a form of a boosted fission weapon. For a more complete list of nuclear test series, see List of nuclear tests. Some exact yield estimates, such as that of the Tsar Bomba and the tests by India and Pakistan in 1998, are somewhat contested among specialists.
