An abandoned runway is surrounded by patches of grass under a partly cloudy sky.

On this day 79 years ago, this runway on the small island of Tinian in the Mariana Islands changed the world. It was from this stretch of remote pavement that the Enola Gay took to the air with a ferocious new weapon, headed to Hiroshima to inflict unbelievable damage.

A map showing the western and central Pacific Ocean region including countries like the Philippines, Japan, Papua New Guinea, and numerous island groups such as the Mariana Islands, with a red arrow pointing to the location of Tinian Island.

We visited the then-abandoned site in 2017 as part of our travel quest to visit all the major sites associated with the Manhattan Project.

An aerial view shows a coastal landscape with a lush green area, an airstrip, a clear blue sea, and a visible rainbow.Aerial view of a coastal landscape featuring a runway on green terrain beside the ocean, with a plane's wing in the foreground and clouds dotting the sky.

A dirt road bordered by tall grass is viewed from the perspective of someone inside a vehicle, under a clear blue sky.A glass pyramid structure is situated in an open area with trees and blue skies in the background.

A glass pyramid structure with a plaque in the foreground and a ladder leading down into the ground.A framed photograph of a bomb is displayed on an easel inside a small open structure with metal beams.

A partially ruined concrete structure with exposed rebar stands in a grassy area on a sunny day.A dilapidated two-story concrete structure, overgrown with vegetation, stands with its columns and beams partially eroded, surrounded by greenery.