History | Department of Energy Official websites use .gov .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS lock ) or means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. History About The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has one of the richest and most diverse histories in the federal government. Although only in existence since 1977, the Department traces its lineage to the Manhattan Project effort to develop the atomic bomb during World War II and to the various energy-related programs that previously had been dispersed throughout various federal agencies. Major Events The DOE History Timeline provides a chronology of DOE history and its predecessor agencies and includes links to reports, speeches, press releases, and other documentation. 1939 - The Einstein Letter Albert Einstein writes President Franklin D. Roosevelt, alerting the President to the importance of research on nuclear chain reactions and the possibility that research might lead to developing powerful bombs. Einstein notes that Germany has stopped the sale of uranium and German physicists are engaged in uranium research. 1942 - Manhattan Project Begins The Army Corps of Engineers establishes the Manhattan Engineer District to develop and build the atomic bomb. Uranium isotope separation facilities are built at Oak Ridge, Tennessee; plutonium production reactors are built at Hanford, Washington; and a weapons laboratory is set up at Los Alamos, New Mexico. 1954 - Atomic Energy Act is Signed President Eisenhower signs the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, opening the way for the development of a civilian nuclear power program. 1963 - Limited Test Ban Treaty Signed The United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union sign the Limited Test Ban Treaty prohibiting underwater, atmospheric, and outer space nuclear tests. Nuclear testing continues underground. 1973 - An Energy Crisis On October 6, 1973, the Yom Kippur War breaks out in the Middle East. On October 17, the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries declares an oil embargo, exacerbating the first "energy crisis." 1983 - Strategic Defense Initiative Launched President Reagan addresses the nation on national security and announces the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), a satellite-based defense system that would destroy incoming missiles and warheads in space. 1993 - DOE Openness Initiative Launched Secretary O’Leary announces an "openness" initiative to lift the veil of secrecy from past nuclear activities, revealing that one-fifth of the nation’s nuclear weapons tests had been kept secret, identifying locations and quantities of weapons-grade plutonium, providing information about fusion energy, and documenting the large quantities of mercury used in weapons production. 2002 - Yucca Mountain Proposed Secretary Abraham formally recommends to President Bush that the Yucca Mountain site in Nevada be developed as the nation's first long-term geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste. 2015 - Manhattan Project National Historical Park Established U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Secretary Ernest Moniz sign a memorandum of agreement establishing the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. The agreement directs how the National Park Service (NPS) and the Department of Energy will work together to preserve, protect, and provide access to the historic resources associated with the Manhattan Project at locations in Oak, Ridge, Tennessee; Los Alamos, New Mexico; and the Hanford Site in Washington state. DOE Site Histories U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Laboratory and Field Sites have their own rich histories and are spread across the country. DOE also supports exhibits, museums, and historic sites that highlight its history and achievements in science and technology. Labs and Field Site Histories November 5, 2025 Exhibits, Museums, and Historic Facilities September 14, 2020 Manhattan Project National Historical Park History May 16, 2024 Manhattan Project Historical Resources January 15, 2025 Cold War History October 28, 2019 July 10, 2018 Historical Photographs Browse the archives to find thousands of photographs that depict the U.S. Department of Energy's various programs and activities. View Historical Photographs Historical Publications List of publications available through the Department of Energy, including links to PDF versions. The Manhattan Project: Making the Atomic Bomb Written by F. G. Gosling. DOE/MA-0002 Revised. Ninth printing. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Energy, 2010. 115 pp., with 38 pp. photo gallery. The New World, 1939-1946: A History of the Atomic Energy Commission, Volume 1 Written by Richard G. Hewlett and Oscar E. Anderson, Jr.  Reprint, Berkeley: University of California Press, 1990. 766 pp. The Manhattan Project: An Interactive History This website provides an overview of the Manhattan Project and covers events, people, places, processes, and science. Atomic Shield, 1947-1952: A History of the Atomic Energy Commission, Volume 2 Written by Richard G. Hewlett and Francis Duncan. Reprint, University of California Press, 1990. 718 pp. Atoms for War and Peace, 1953-1961: A History of the Atomic Energy Commission, Volume 3 Written by Richard G. Hewlett and Jack M. Holl. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1990. 696 pp. A History of the Atomic Energy Commission Written by Alice L. Buck. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Energy, July 1983. 41 pp. A History of the Energy Research and Development Administration Written by Alice L. Buck. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Energy, March 1982. 22 pp. The Federal Energy Administration Written by Roger Anders. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Energy, November 1980. 15 pp. Atomic Fission: The Breakup of the Atomic Energy Commission and the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 Written by Eric W. Boyle and Thomas R. Wellock. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 2024, 100 pp. A Brief History of the Department of Energy Department of Energy, 1977-1994: A Summary History Written by Terrence R. Fehner and Jack M. Holl. DOE/HR-0098. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Energy, 1994. 142 pp Closing the Circle: The Department of Energy and Environmental Management, 1942-1994 Written by TF. G. Gosling and Terrence R. Fehner. Draft manuscript. 1994. 166 pp. Coming in From the Cold: Regulating U.S. Department of Energy Nuclear Facilities, 1942-1996 Written by F.G. Gosling and Terrence R. Fehner. Environmental History 1:2 (April 1996): 5-33. History Publications Since its establishment in 1957, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) History Program consistently sought to maintain a level of excellence in its publications that meets all scholarly standards and yet is accessible to the general public. At the same time, DOE partnered with program offices and field sites to provide historical products that are useful and fill specific departmental needs. In this effort, DOE produced a broad range of prize-winning monographs, shorter histories, articles, chronologies, and other publications. Some of these are available online. Others are available at major libraries or in academic journals. Historical Resources March 7, 2018 Calutron operators at their panels, in the Y-12 plant at Oak Ridge, TN during World War II. Gladys Owens, the woman seated in the foreground, didn't understand the exact purpose of her job until seeing touring the facility fifty years later. Ed Westcott / US Army / Manhattan Engineering District Find information on historical publications, museums and exhibits, DOE labs and field sites, and researching DOE records. View Resources Information for Researchers June 5, 2017 The first control of the power of the atom, achieved at 3:35 p.m. on December 2, 1942, when Enrico Fermi and his team initiated the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction in a laboratory in the squash court built under the West Stands of Stagg Field Learn about how to do your own research with DOE records here. Explore Records History We’re Making Today The Department of Energy is committed to powering innovation and building a sustainable future. Learn about the wide range of scientific projects shaping our future. Supercomputing The Department of Energy’s national labs host some of the most powerful computers in the world. October 16, 2025 Quantum Science Quantum information science has the potential to radically advance computing, sensing, and communications. October 16, 2025 Space Exploration and The Universe From supporting NASA to understanding the cosmos, DOE expands our knowledge of the universe. October 16, 2025 Cancer Research Cancer researchers use unique, world-leading scientific resources at DOE’s national laboratories. October 16, 2025 Biotechnology DOE is harnessing biology to advance U.S. prosperity for science, energy, sustainability, and security. October 16, 2025 Fusion Energy Fusion is a potential source of on-demand, safe, and abundant energy with zero carbon emissions. October 16, 2025 Artificial Intelligence AI brings enormous potential for the nation’s economic prosperity and national security. April 17, 2026