The first atomic bomb tests began in July 1945 with the Trinity test conducted by the United States on July 16. This test took place in New Mexico as part of the Manhattan Project, a secretive research and development initiative aimed at harnessing nuclear energy for weaponry during World War II. The successful detonation of the bomb marked a significant technological achievement but also raised profound ethical questions about the use of such devastating weapons. Following the Trinity test, atomic bombs were subsequently dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, leading to Japan's surrender and the end of World War II, but also ushering in the nuclear age.