Stories from the Atomic Age

An Abbreviated History of Johnston Atoll
Presented by Historian Robert Friedrichs

The Atomic Museum invites guests to “Stories from the Atomic Age: An Abbreviated History of Johnston Atoll.” Historian and founding member of the Atomic Museum, Robert Friedrichs, will share the strange and true story of Johnston Atoll – a small uninhabited island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean developed into a Naval Defensive Sea Area and Airspace Reservation during World War II, before becoming a hub for nuclear testing in the 1950s and 1960s. Johnston Atoll was associated with nuclear tests like Starfish Prime, a 1.4 Megaton device that detonated at an extremely high altitude with effects reaching into outer space, and Bluegill Prime, a misfire that was set to self-destruct on its own launchpad. The atoll was later used in bioweapon testing and chemical weapon storage for toxins like Agent Orange before undergoing a decades-long contamination cleanup process that even included the eradication of millions of invasive crazy ants. Today, it is a National Wildlife Refuge and is home to dozens of species of seabirds and a sanctuary for its surrounding marine life.

When: Thursday, March 28, 2024 at 1:00 PM

Where: The Rodgers Auditorium at the Atomic Museum | 755 E Flamingo Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89119

Cost: Free with Atomic Museum admission or membership | Open to students and faculty with valid ID (Atomic Museum admission not included)

Space is limited and available only. First come, first served.