Oak Ridge marks 80th anniversary of first atomic bombing
Kori Cekic rings the International Friendship Bell at A.K. Bissell Park with Borja and Novena as Arijan watches, at 6:47 a.m. to commemorate the number of years since the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, Aug. 6, 2025, in Oak Ridge. (Caitie McMekin/News Sentinel)
Local residents, officials, and rangers with the Manhattan Project National Historic Park marked the 80th anniversary of the dropping of the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan with a ceremony in the city's A.K. Bissell Park. Attendees were given a chance to ring the International Friendship Bell erected in the park that symbolizes peace and unity between the U.S. and Japan. The 3,000-pound bronze bell was cast in Kyoto and depicts scenes of Oak Ridge, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as scenes from World War II and symbols of peace. It was first erected in the city's A.K. Bissell Park in 1993.