August 1942 - United State's manhattan project begins July 16, 1945 - United States conducts first nuclear weapons test ever with the bomb code named "trinity" August 29, 1949 - Soviet Union conducts their first nuclear weapons test October 3, 1952 - United Kingdom tests nuclear weapon in Australia November 1, 1952 - United States Tests first hydrogen bomb March 1, 1954 - United States detonates a 17 megaton bomb in "Castle Bravo" test February 13, 1960 - France conducts their first nuclear weapon test October 30, 1961 - The Soviet Union conducts the largest weapons test on record with a 58 megaton Tsar Bomba October 16, 1964 - China Conducts their first nuclear weapon test May 18, 1974 - India conducts their first nuclear weapon test May 1998 - India and Pakistan Conduct nuclear tests October 9, 2006 - North Korea conducts their first nuclear test