When was nuclear power invented?

In 1934, physicist Enrico Fermi discovered nuclear fission through his research and experiments. He forced together neutrons with uranium atoms and noticed that the product was lighter than that of uranium.

By Dec. 2, 1942, Fermi was able to create the first self-sustaining nuclear reaction, which gained a lot of interest. In 1945, the United States set off the first nuclear bomb in a New Mexico desert to test the power and potential of nuclear power. By the 1950s, nuclear power plants began to appear all over the world. Nuclear power was seen as a clean and safe alternative energy source.