History

The history of nuclear energy is a story of a centuries-old dream becoming a reality. The science of atomic radiation, atomic change, and nuclear fission was developed from 1895 to 1945, much of it in the last six years. Over 1939-45, most development was focused on the atomic bomb. From 1945 attention was given to harnessing this energy in a controlled fashion for naval propulsion and for making electricity. Since 1956 the prime focus has been on the technological evolution of reliable nuclear power plants. Below are several documents on nuclear energy’s development into a globally prominent energy source.

• Atomic Bomb Declaration by President Truman, Prime Minister Attlee, and King

• USAEC General Advisory Seventh Committee Log

• Dwight Eisenhower’s “Atoms For Peace”

• The USAEC’s Report on the Need for Nuclear Power

• USAEC Meeting 1377

• Proposed AEC Licensing Procedure and Related Legislation

• Calvert Cliffs Coordinating Committee v. USAEC

• US and Russian Plutonium Disposition: The Trilateral Initiative

• Background to IAEA Safeguards Agreements

• The IAEA as a Safeguards Regime

• Hans Blix’s Statement to the Fortieth Session of the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency