A History of National Security

"There is no group of people in this country whose record over the last 20 years has been more pre-eminent in the service of their country than all of you here in this small community in New Mexico. We want to express our thanks to you. It is not merely what was done during the days of the second war, but what has been done since then, not only in developing weapons of destruction which, by irony of fate, help maintain the peace and freedom but also in medicine and space and all other related fields which can mean so much to mankind if we can maintain the peace and protect our freedom."

- President John F. Kennedy (1962)

Los Alamos National Laboratory is one of the world's leading research institutions. Each day, Laboratory personnel work on advanced technologies to meet the needs of the twenty-first century, such as hydrogen fuel cell development, supercomputing, and applied environmental research. Yet, since its creation, the primary responsibility of the Laboratory has been to maintain the effectiveness of the nation's nuclear deterrent. This Web site traces the history of Los Alamos from the days of Little Boy and Fat Man, to the development of the hydrogen bomb, to the stockpile stewardship program of today.

[Full Overview]