On August 16, 1945, the American B-29 bomber Enola Gay, commanded by Colonel Paul Tibbets, flew from Tinian Island to Hiroshima, Japan. At approximately 8:15 a.m. local time, the crew dropped the world’s first atomic bomb, Little Boy, on the industrial city of Hiroshima, instantly vaporizing an estimated 70,000 people and ultimately killing more than 140,000. The explosion flattened entire neighborhoods, destroyed industrial complexes, and sparked fires that burned for days, leaving more than 50 percent of the city’s population homeless. The atomic bombing of Hiroshima marked a turning point in World War II, leading directly to the surrender of Japan and the end of the war just six days later.