The US dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima on this day in 1945. Haunting photos show what happened.

The scene of destruction after the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945. Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Near the end of World War II, Germany surrendered to the Allies, but Japan refused. To end the war quickly, President Truman's government decided to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. On August 6, the atomic bomb "Little Boy" was dropped, killing an estimated 80,000 people. On August 6, 1945, a 10-foot-long uranium bomb that weighed 9,788 pounds called "Little Boy" was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The explosion wiped out 5 square miles of the city, including 62,000 buildings. As many as 80,000 people are estimated to have been killed instantly. The explosion was so powerful that people were vaporized, leaving nothing behind except for their "nuclear shadow."