PHYSICAL VIBRANT TIMELINE

PHYSICS iN the 20th Century

atomic programm The life of oppenheimer discoveries and inventions the cold war

NATALI Noémie

SEBILEAU Margaux

PFITZENREUTER Joséphine

KALUZA--RADKOHL Jeanne

1991

1936

1901

1953

1920

1948

1904

1922

1939

1943

1945

1927

1973

1930

1955

1910

1944

1903

1942

1928

1938

1921

1989

1947

1949

1925

PFITZENREUTER JoséphineSEBILEAU Margaux KALUZA--RADKOHL Jeanne NATALI Noémie 1ere AMC

Berlin Airlift

June 24, 1948 - May 12, 1949

The Berlin Airlift was a massive operation to bring essential supplies to the people of West Berlin. At that time, Germany was divided into four zones, by the victorious allied powers after WWII (USA, France, UK, USSR). There were tensions rising when UUSR decided to block West Berlin. In response, the Allies launched the Berlin Airlift, using aiplanes to fly in food, fuel and other materials to help the people of West Berlin.

• Picture of citizens of West Berlin looking at an airplane, flying in necessities to them.

Oppenheimer met Jean Tatlock

In 1936, Oppenheimer met Jean Tatlock, a student member of the American Communist Party. This relationship sparked suspicion that Oppenheimer was close to the Soviets. However, he has always denied any involvement in communist activities. During the period of McCarthyism and the Cold War, fear of communism was omnipresent in the United States, which amplified the suspicions and accusations against him.

Jean Tatlock with Oppenheimer (photo from msn.com)

The fall of the Berlin wall

The fall of the Berlin Wall was a important event in the history of the 20th century .It happened on November 9, 1989 marking the end of an era of division and conflict in Europe. The wall, which had separated East and West Berlin for almost three decades, was a physical and ideological symbol of the Cold War.For years, families were torn apart, and dreams were shattered by the concrete barrier that stood tall in the heart of Berlin. But on that day in 1989, people from both sides of the wall came together in a spirit of unity and solidarity, demanding change.The fall of the Berlin Wall was not just about the physical fall of a barrier; it was about the collapse of an oppressive regime and the triumph of freedom and democracy.

DNA Structure

1953 the british scientist Francis Crick and the American scientist James Watson explained officially that the DNA molecule exists in form of a three-dimensional double-helix structure. DNA stands for “Deoxyribonucleic acid”. This structure holds genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction which are essential for all known forms of life. Understanding the structure and function of DNA is helping to identify pathogens, to explain them and to find means of healing. The modelization of DNA was corrected by the X-Ray-studies of Maurice Wilkins. In 1962 the three scientists received for the discovery of DNA the Nobel Prize. But many people think that the previous work of the british physical chemist Rosalind Franklin, especially a revolutionary photo of DNA’s double-helix structure, “Photograph 51”, was essential for the discovery of DNA.

https://www.ashg.org/discover-genetics/building-blocks/Jeanne

Oppenheimer joined the Manhattan project

In 1942, Robert Oppenheimer joined the Manhattan project and became the director. As a part of the American atomic bomb development project (Manhattan Project), he was appointed scientific director of the secret laboratory in Los Alamos, New Mexico. This led him to play a major role in the development of atomic weapons. Robert Oppenheimer was chosen to lead the Manhattan Project because he was considered to be one of the most brilliant physicists in the world. He understood very well nuclear physics, and he was also a skilled administrator. He was also known for his charisma and his ability to motivate people. That changed his life, he became more and more well-known. In fact, this entrance into the Manhattan Project had significant consequences. As the scientific director, his leadership and expertise were instrumental in the successful development of the atomic bomb. However, his involvement also led to ethical and moral dilemmas, particularly regarding the use of nuclear weapons and the post-war arms race. Oppenheimer's later opposition to the development of the hydrogen bomb resulted in his security clearance being revoked during the Red Scare, marking a controversial chapter in his life and career.

Oppenheimer obtained a degree

After obtaining, in 1925, his degree in chemistry, with the mention "summa cum laude", he decided to move towards theoretical physics. Four years of stay in Europe will allow him to rub shoulders with the greatest physicists of the time and to work, at their side, on the applications of new theories (relativity, quantum mechanics).

The Einstein-Szilard Letter

This famous letter was written by Leo Szilard and signed by Albert Einstein on the 2nd of August 1939. People often think that Einstein beared responsibilities into the developement of the Atomic Bomb but the only act, related to the conception of this mass-destructive weapon was the signature of this document.It warns the american President Franklin D. Roosvelt that Germany is trying to develop an atomic bomb and suggests that the USA should do so too. "In view of this situation you may think it desirable to have some permanent contact maintained between the Administration and the group of physicists working on chain reactions in America" Those words are known to be at the origin of the Manhattan Project later set up by President Roosevelt.

• Leo Szilard was a Hungarian-American physicist and inventor. He played a central role in the developping of the atomic bomb with his researches on atomic energy. However, during the Manhattan Project he was firmly against the use of the bomb. Later he fought for the demilitarisation of nuclear weapons.

Josephine Pfitzenreuter

Warsaw Pact

On May 14th, 1955, the Soviet Union formed a pact called the Warsaw Pact in response to the NATO pact formed by Western powers. It included eight Eastern countries: Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Soviett Union.

Oppenheimer met Truman

In 1945, the atomic bomb has been dropped. In fact, this decision was taken by Harry Truman although the bomb was in part created by Robert Oppenheimer. ‘In part’ because he was the leader of the Manhattan Project (which was the first American program of scientific and industrial research) which means that he was not the only creator of this bomb. Actually, they were about 130,000 workers. This decision of dropping the bomb was a big turning point in the scientist’s life. He declared to the president: “I have blood on my hands”. Which means that he felt he destroyed a whole country. In one hand we can say that yes because of his position in the Manhattan project. In an other hand we can say that he was not guilty because he is not the man who took the decision of the bomb landing. Moreover, for a brief moment, he received a lot of money and was seen as a hero, the brilliant mind who cracked the atom and ushered humanity into a new age. But it lasted only few months. After that, he was seen as the “destroyer of world”. Oppenheimer finally spent the rest of his life learning and teaching sciences. This event changed his life because it went from a hero to the world’s enemy. In 1953, the president Eisenhower received a letter accusing Oppenheimer of being tied to the Communist Party in the Soviet Union. In fact, he was in pair with Jean Tatlock, a student member of the American Communist Party. This relationship sparked suspicion that Oppenheimer was close to the Soviets.

Oppenheimer and Truman source : news.yahoo.com

The first airplane was invented and flown by two American brothers: Wilbur and Orville Wright. They achieved the first controlled and successful flight in December 17th 1903 in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in the United States. The distance of the flight was about 852 feet (260 m) in 59 seconds. Their engine-powered airplane was called the “Wright Flyer” and also known as “Kitty Hawk” or “Flyer I” or “1903 Flyer”. It had a wingspan of 40 feet 4 inches (12,29 m) and a length of 21 feet 1 inch (6,43 m). The weight was 605 points (274 kg). Even if the “Wright Flyer” was damaged on landing, it was a historic moment that marked the beginning of the modern aviation. Since then, the airplane has undergone many ameliorations and has become an essential means of transportation to travel all around the world.

The Airplane

President of the United States, Truman, pledges to support nations threatened by communism.

Julius Robert Oppenheimer

source : photo from wikipedia

The Manhattan project

The Manhattan Project, the U.S. government's research project to produce an atomic bomb during World War II started in 1942 and lasted until 1946. The goal and motivation of the US was to develop the wepon before the nazis. General Leslie Grooves was in charge of its direction, he hired the best physicist he could. Robert J. Oppenheimer, Enrico Fermi and Ernest Lawrence were the main scientists of the project. But in total 125 000 people worked on the project. Mainly in Los Alalmos, Richland and Oak Ridge, the main sites. Finally it costed 2 billion dollars, representing 1% of the US-GDP. This research and development programm was the first to create an atomic bomb ever. Josephine Pfitzenreuter