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The 10 Biggest Explosions in the History of the World

There’s nothing quite as exciting as explosions (preferably going off in the distance) to remind us how small we are compared to the raw power of nature or human invention. If the Big Bang is considered to be the proto-boom that started all other explosions, what would the top 10 most powerful blasts in the history of our world be? To make it more interesting, they’re not all supernovas.

1. The First A-Bomb

In July 1945, scientists gathered in the New Mexico desert for an experiment that would change the world forever. They tested the first nuke, unleashing a mind-blowing blast equal to around 20 kilotons of TNT. J. Robert Oppenheimer, the project’s leader, later quoted the Hindu scripture the Bhagavad Gita, saying, “I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” The test paved the way for nuclear weapons used to end World War II and sparked decades of fear over nuclear annihilation.