An undisputed genius. A revered leader. A charmer and a storyteller.

Oppenheimer came to the clandestine Lab in northern New Mexico as its first Director in 1943, hired by General Leslie Groves to accomplish a monumental feat: create the atomic bomb as quickly as possible to help end World War II.

Oppenheimer led his team to do just that, changing the world and affirming his scientific legacy.

His final years, however, were spent quietly before his death at age 62 in 1967.

However, in late 2022, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm signed an order vacating the 1954 decision to revoke Oppenheimer's security clearance. Read more about what many considered an unfair political and personal attack, including details on the history and Granholm's statement.