The blast killed 70,000 to 100,000 people and injured countless others. It was the morning of August 6, 1945, when the aircraft and its crew of 14 dropped the five-tonne 'Little Boy' bomb over Hiroshima. It was the first time man had used nuclear weaponry against his fellow man.
Tibbets's historic mission in the aeroplane Enola Gay marked the beginning of the end of the second world war. 'It's end of an era,' said Newhouse, who served as Tibbets's manager for 10 years. Tibbets had requested no funeral and no headstone, fearing it would provide his detractors with a place to protest, Newhouse said.
Paul Tibbets died at his Columbus home in the United States after a two month decline in his physical condition stemming from a variety of health problems, said Gerry Newhouse, a longtime friend.
