Robert oppenheimer 19041967 was an american theoretical physicist. April 22, 1904 february 18, 1967 was an american theoretical physicist and professor of physics at the university. Fascinating docudrama look back at the challenging life and times of j. Robert oppenheimer, the physicist who had led the manhattan project to produce the first atomic bomb, has now been. Interweaving interviews with family members, scholars and colleagues with dramatic recreations featuring academy awardnominated actor david strathairn, this programme follows j robert oppenheimer on a fascinating arc through the century, from the heady world. From multiple emmy awardwinning producer david grubin rfk, lbj, abraham and mary lincoln. Jan 26, 2009 the pbs network just presented on their series the american experience a tragic show entitled the trials of j. Robert oppenheimer was born on 22 april 1904 in new york.
Robert oppenheimer, with its conspicuous subtitle of a fiction, belongs in a series of dramatic monologues in ais collection sin, where she speaks in the grim voices of those in extreme historical circumstancesjohn kennedy after his assassination, joseph mccarthy fantasizing about unlimited power, a leftist dying in madrid during the spanish civil war, an aging. Although chevalier served as a translator during the nuremberg trials and. Aug 09, 2017 a s he witnessed the first detonation of a nuclear weapon on july 16, 1945, a piece of hindu scripture ran through the mind of robert oppenheimer. Robert oppenheimer was a national hero, the brilliant scientist who during wwii led the scientific team that created the atomic bomb.
Oppenheimer was probed in a controversial fourweek hearing in 1954. Jul 24, 2018 robert oppenheimer, the head of the manhattan project, is known to history as the father of the atomic bomb. Robert oppenheimer has books on goodreads with 5758 ratings. Robert oppenheimer, a film by david grubin, airing on pbs january 26 for the american experience series, in association with. Explore the drama and back story behind some of the most pivotal trials in history with notable jurist and teacher, oak dowling, j. Apush explained this is the guy that makes the videos that i recommend for each unit joczproductions. A s he witnessed the first detonation of a nuclear weapon on july 16, 1945, a piece of hindu scripture ran through the mind of robert oppenheimer. Robert oppenheimer is widely regarded as the father of the atomic bomb. Under his leadership during world war ii, the united states created the atomic bomb that brought the war. Robert oppenheimer the 376th brookhaven lecture given by lab historian robert crease on september 18, 2002.
Robert oppenheimer homepage subscribe to the email newsletter corporate sponsorship for american experience is provided by liberty mutual insurance and consumer cellular. Robert oppenheimers life and legacy are inextricably linked to americas most famous topsecret initiative the manhattan project. But after the bomb brought the war to an end, in spite of his renown and his enormous achievement, america turned on him humiliated and cast him aside. Jason constantine flanagan a thesis presented in partial fiilfilment of the requirements of the degree of bachelor of arts with honours in history at the university of queensland. More than any other man, he was responsible for issuing american theoretical physics from a provincial adjunct of europe to world leadership. With harold agnew, jeremy bernstein, robert christy, michael cumpsty. In 1953 he was suspended from secret nuclear research as an alleged communist sympathizer and a security risk after a hearing that was widely decried as a cold war witch hunt. Robert oppenheimer, the physicist who had led the manhattan project to produce the first atomic bomb, has now been declassified in full by the department of energy. He is often known as the father of the atomic bomb. Julius robert oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, became one of the. Robert oppenheimer was brilliant, arrogant, proud, charismatic and a national her. Robert oppenheimer features interviews with the scientists former. In 1941 oppenheimer was appointed director of the manhattan project, in which he directed more than three thousand people doing topsecret research at various locations in addition to handling mechanical or abstract problems.
Transcript of 1954 oppenheimer hearing declassified in full. Oppie, as we locals call him, is not only the father of the atomic bomb but he is the. Naturally, several new biographies have appeared near oppenheimers centennial year. Robert oppenheimer homepage subscribe to the email newsletter corporate sponsorship for american experience is provided by liberty. Robert oppenheimer, the nuclear physicist, died here tonight at the age of 62. More than any other man, he was responsible for raising american theoretical physics from a provincial adjunct of europe to world leadership. Robert oppenheimer ideas are monolithic in the keen companys revival of j. Robert oppenheimer trial robert oppenheimers life and legacy are inextricably linked to americas most famous top. Robert oppenheimer, the head of the manhattan project, is known to history as the father of the atomic bomb. The pbs network just presented on their series the american experience a tragic show entitled the trials of j. His father gave him a present of a mineral collection. Robert oppenheimer was born to a german jewish immigrant and a delicate lady from baltimore in 1904. Interweaving interviews with family members, scholars and colleagues with dramatic recreations featuring academy awardnominated actor david strathairn, this programme follows j robert oppenheimer on a fascinating arc through.
Robert oppenheimer was brilliant, arrogant, proud, charismatic and a national hero. Robert oppenheimer on a fascinating arc through the century, from the heady world of international physics to the. Transcript of 1954 oppenheimer hearing declassified in. To download this paper as a pdf, please click here. At the dawn of the atomic age, nuclear physicists were among the highest echelon of.
This biography presents a complex and revealing portrait of. Robert oppenheimer april 22, 1904february 18, 1967 by h. April 22, 1904 february 18, 1967 was an american theoretical physicist and professor of physics at the university of california, berkeley. Professor of history, university of massachusetts dartmouth. For me this was a poignant experience because inadvertently i had been involved in all of those events in very strange but very personal ways. While doing some online research on oppenheimer, i discovered to my great pleasure that a 2hour pbs documentary on with special focus on his 1950s mccarthylike trial was available for free. Oppenheimer security hearing atomic heritage foundation. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Robert oppenheimer trial robert oppenheimer s life and legacy are inextricably linked to americas most famous topsecret initiative, the manhattan project. Feb 26, 2009 ive recently started reading american prometheus. The oppenheimer security hearing was a 1954 proceeding by the united states atomic energy commission aec that explored the background, actions, and associations of j. Robert oppenheimers most popular book is the oxford book of modern science writing.
But after the bomb brought the war to an end, in spite of his renown and his enormous achievement, america turned on him. His name forever bound to the manhattan project, americas most famous topsecret initiative, oppenheimer presided over the assembly of the atomic bomb that helped end world war ii. Robert oppenheimer, with its conspicuous subtitle of a fiction, belongs in a series of dramatic monologues in ais collection sin, where she speaks in the grim voices of those in extreme historical circumstancesjohn kennedy after his assassination, joseph mccarthy fantasizing about unlimited power, a leftist dying in madrid during the. The trials of robert oppenheimer can be purchased from the pbs shop. The transcript of the momentous 1954 atomic energy commission hearing that led the aec to revoke the security clearance of j. Robert oppenheimer is anchored by recreated testimony featuring david strathairn as the physicist, in this american experience presentation. Gilder lehrman timelines, documents, videos, and essays for each of the 9 apush periods. David straithairn as j robert oppenheimer narrated by campbell scott. The espionage trials that shaped american politics. May 18, 2012 with harold agnew, jeremy bernstein, robert christy, michael cumpsty. Robert oppenheimer died on 18 february 1967 in princeton, n. Interweaving interviews with family members, scholars and colleagues with dramatic recreations featuring academy awardnominated actor david strathairn good night, and good luck, and the bourne ultimatum, this program follows j. Crease has completed and supplemented the unfinished biography j.
The day after trinity 1981 full documentary youtube. Oppy became fascinated and wrote the new york mineralogical society and they, thinking he was an adult, invited him to give a presentation. This biography presents a revealing portrait of one of the most important american scientists of the 20th century. Heinar kipphardts 1969 play adapts the transcripts of the 1954 governmental. Robert oppenheimer was called before a tribunal of the atomic energy commission aec for a hearing on his past involvement with communist organizations, the safety of his continued security clearance, and the possibility that he was a soviet spy. Creases involvement came at the request of paiss widow, ida nicolaisen, who supplied her husbands notes after he died in. Robert oppenheimer serves as the subject of this installment of pbss american experience. Julius robert oppenheimer was an american theoretical physicist and professor of physics at. Oppenheimer died at 8 oclock in his home on the grounds of the institute for advanced study. By the time the manhattan project was launched in the fall of 1942. At the height of mccarthyism, oppenheimers politics during the 1930s came under scrutiny and ultimately led to his undoing at the hands of the atomic energy commission in 1953. In 1941 oppenheimer was appointed director of the manhattan project, in which he directed more than three thousand people doing topsecret research at various locations in addition to handling mechanical or abstract. But after world war ii, this brilliant and intense scientist fell from the innermost circles of american science, and at the height of the red scare, the veil of suspicion fell over oppenheimer.