654F Summer 2025 Oppenheimer: The Man, the Myth, and the Movie

Was Robert Oppenheimer the most significant person in world history? In the 2023 blockbuster film, Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan claimed that Oppenheimer is the most important figure in global history. Oppenheimer was the key figure in the “Manhattan Project,” which developed the first two nuclear bombs that were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Oppenheimer’s work on the project has provided countries with nuclear weapons with the power to end the world in a fire of nuclear catastrophe. This course will examine whether the historical evidence supports Nolan’s contention that Oppenheimer is the “most important” person in history. Additionally, this course will examine the role of blockbuster movies in the telling of history.

Michael McGregor currently works as a contractor for the Department of Health and Human Services. Michael’s research has focused on the history of the U.S. presidency and the Lend- Lease Act. Michael received his Master of Arts in History from George Mason University in 2012.