17/06/2025
The world’s nuclear powers:
- 1945: The U.S. becomes the first nuclear nation with the Trinity Test and Hiroshima/Nagasaki bombings
- 1949–1964: The Soviet Union (1949), UK (1952), France (1960), and China (1964) follow quickly
- 1974 & 1998: India tests in 1974, and Pakistan responds in 1998, escalating a regional arms race
- 2006+: North Korea exits the NPT and conducts nuclear tests in 2006 and beyond
Today, nine countries officially or secretly possess nuclear weapons—from the original five under the NPT to India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea
These events mark the spread of nuclear capability across the globe, highlighting efforts like the NPT and the ongoing challenge to limit and roll back these arsenals.