The last time a nuclear weapon was used in warfare was on August 9th, 1945, when the United States of America dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima during World War II. This event marked the end of the war and the first use of nuclear weapons in warfare.
Since then, there have been a number of tests conducted around the world, but no nuclear weapon has been used in conflict.
When was the most recent nuke?
The most recent nuclear detonation took place on September 3, 2017 in North Korea. This was the sixth and most powerful nuclear test conducted by the country. The United Nations Security Council later condemned the test and imposed new economic sanctions in response.
This test was the first use of a powerful, hydrogen bomb-like device, estimated to have a yield of around 200 kilotons – roughly sixteen times stronger than the atomic bombs used by the United States in World War II.
North Korea has since declared its official position is to never give up its nuclear weapons and conduct additional nuclear tests if its security is threatened.