Oppenheimer

J. Robert Oppenheimer (1904-1967) was an American theoretical physicist and one of the key figures in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II. Born in New York City, Oppenheimer received his education at Harvard University, the University of Cambridge, and the University of Göttingen in Germany.

During the war, Oppenheimer led the Los Alamos Laboratory in New Mexico, which was responsible for the development of the atomic bomb. He played a crucial role in the successful test of the first atomic bomb, which took place in July 1945 in Alamogordo, New Mexico.

After the war, Oppenheimer became a leading advocate for international control of atomic energy and a prominent critic of nuclear weapons. He served as the chairman of the General Advisory Committee of the Atomic Energy Commission, where he opposed the development of the hydrogen bomb, and was a key figure in the development of the first US nuclear energy program.

However, Oppenheimer's career was abruptly cut short when he was accused of being a security risk and stripped of his security clearance in 1954. The accusations were based on his past associations with suspected communists, and his opposition to the development of the hydrogen bomb. Although he was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing, his reputation suffered and he became a symbol of the anti-communist hysteria that swept the US during the Cold War.