The end of the war to end all wars

It is ironic that the largest war in human history ended in such a docile city. When the US dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki, one nation was crushed as another took the international crown. The devastation that this single event left in it's wake more than made up for the conflicts it ended. An entire city, along with its people, had been wiped off the map. Eventually, the city rebuilt itself; not all was lost. Just as the archway stands in this picture, so did the resilient people of Japan.

If only for the archway, this picture stands as a testament to the adaptability of the human race. No matter how many people you remove from the equation, if there is at least one left over to make a difference, the struggle isn't over. A picture is worth a thousand words, but the context is worth a thousand more. Understanding that this picture marks the most major power shift in the 20th century only serves to augment its significance. The poetic injustice of this travesty, which resulted in the death of millions of innocent civilians, illustrates the genesis of a great tradition in collateral damage. Both at the intranational and international level, this picture tells an incredible story.