William L. Laurence

William Leonard Laurence was a Jewish American science journalist best known for his work at The New York Times. Born in the Russian Empire, he won two Pulitzer Prizes. As the official historian of the Manhattan Project, he was the only journalist to witness the Trinity test and the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. He is credited with coining the iconic term "Atomic Age," which became popular in the 1950s. Infamously, he dismissed the destructive effects of radiation sickness as Japanese propaganda in The New York Times. Even though he had seen the effects first-hand, he had been on the War Department payroll, and was asked by United States military officials to do so in order to discredit earlier reports by independent journalist Wilfred Burchett, the first reporter on-site after the bombings.

7 March 1888

Born on the same birth date (7 March 1888): Alidius Tjarda van Starkenborgh Stachouwer

Born on the same birth day (7 March): Adile Ayda • Bryan Cranston • Ewald Christian von Kleist • Filippo Juvarra • Florentino Fernández (boxer) • Ian Clark (basketball) • Ivar Ballangrud • Matthew Fisher (musician) • Nick Searcy • Photography • Viv Richards

Born in the same month (March 1888): Alidius Tjarda van Starkenborgh Stachouwer • Amanda Clement • Barry Fitzgerald • Elsa Brändström • Ewart Astill • Fanny Walden • J. R. Williams • Jeff Pfeffer • Josef Albers • Léon Scieur • Paul Morand • Paul Ramadier • Rafaela Ottiano • Viktor Kingissepp • Walter Hermann Bucher