In the heart of the United States, a secret so powerful was born in Cincinnati that it changed the course of history. This was no ordinary innovation — but a top-secret mission that would bring an end to the bloodiest conflict the world had ever known: World War II.
The year was 1943. The Allies had been fighting for what seemed like an eternity against the formidable Nazi forces that had conquered much of Europe. America knew that in order to win the war, they needed something that could tip the scales in their favor.
Enter the Manhattan Project — the United States' most ambitious scientific endeavor to date. This was a group of scientists from all over the world brought together to create a top-secret weapon so powerful, it would annihilate the enemy in one fell swoop.
However, there was a significant setback. In order to achieve the explosion required, the Manhattan Project scientists needed a way to separate U-235 (the isotope required for the bomb) from U-238 (the non-explosive isotope that comprised most of Uranium).
This is where Cincinnati comes in. The University of Cincinnati had something that no other university had — the world's first uranium processing facility under Dr. Jesse Wakefield Beams. Here, scientists were able to conduct experiments and test theories at a rate that was unmatched anywhere else in the country.
In 1943, Dr. Max Hutchinson, along with other researchers in the field, developed the first electromagnetic separator in the nation. They eventually developed a machine to replace the U-238 and increase the available amounts of U-235 for building the atomic bombs.
As most people are now well aware of the atomic bombs deployment and the world-changing consequences it conveyed. Therein lies the legacy of Cincinnati — that their scientists designed and started producing U-235 isotope necessary to assemble the fission charges, helping bring the war to its inglorious end in the early atomic aftermath.