Most Powerful Bombs In History

10. Mk-14, USA (6.9 Megatons)

The first of its kind, the Mark 14 (or MK-14) bomb was the first ever solid-fuel, staged hydrogen bomb. This bomb was also known as TX-14 and even referred to as "Sloika' in the Soviet Union. It was built an Emergency Capability, able to privide an explosive yield of 6.9 Megatons.

9. Mk-16, USA (7 Megatons)

The MK-16, also was known as TX-16/EC-16, was built on the same lines as the famed "Ivy Mike". The thermonuclear bomb weighed between 39,000 and 42,000lbs. The bomb was built with an ‘Emergency’ capability status in mind only, and liquid deuterium fuel was used for charging it up. Its yield was 7 Megatons.

8. B53/Mk-53, USA (9 Megatons)

The bomb was known for being the largest bomb up to its times, and it was famous for having a two-stage radiation implosion. The B53 became popular after the B41 had retired. The yield was 9 Megatons, and the B53 was known for its transmission of shock waves upon being dropped.

7. Mk-36, USA (10 Megatons)

The MK-36 was one of the most famous thermonuclear bombs created by the United States. This heavy bomb was around 150 inches long, and it had required two parachutes to reduce its speed. The yield was 10 Megatons, and the bomb had three different types of fusing compatabitle to work within it.

6. Ivy Mike, USA (10.4 Megatons)

"Ivy Mike" was prepared for its historical drop upon the island of Elugelab in the Marshall Islands. This was one of the most powerful and largest Hydrogen bombs that had ever been made by the United States, and was tested in the year 1952. The design was created by Stainslaw Ulam and Edward Teller. Its yield was around 10.4 Megatons.

5. Mk-24, USA (~12 Megatons)

Castle Yankee, in the Marshall Islands' Bikini Atoll, was the site for detonating the MK-24, another bomb made by USA. The bomb had a parachute to help it reach the ground accurately and with proper speed. The MK-24 had been known to bear a resemblance to the MK-17 in terms of its design. The yield was around 12 Megatons.

4. Mk-17, USA (~13 Megatons)

Counted among the top two most widely mass-produced hydrogen bombs ever, the MK-17 was also produced by the USA. The Hydrogen bomb had a yield of around 13 Megatons of explosive power. At 24 feet and 8 inches in length, the MK-17 happened to also be one of the largest bombs made by the USA.

3. TX-21/Shrimp, USA (15 megatons)

The USA had exploded this bomb and its 15 Megatons of yield during the Castle Bravo nuclear test way back in the year 1954. This bomb was a part of the Operation Castle series of tests performed by the USA in the Marshall Islands' Bikini Atoll.

2. B41/Mk-41, USA (25 Megatons

The most powerful bomb that was ever known to be made in the USA had to be the B41/MK-41. Manufactured between 1960 and 1962, this was one of the two strongest bombs ever, with a yield of 25 Megatons. This thermonuclear bomb was known for its five sets of fusing options.

1. Tsar Bomba/RDS-220, USSR (50 Megatons)

First tested on the 30th of October, 1961, the Tsar Bomba/RDS 220 or "Big Ivan", was truly a Halloween nightmare. It was the largest and the most powerful nuclear bomb known to ever have been made in human history. The bomb was crafted by Soviet Russia (USSR), and it is the only one from the USSR, or even outside of the US, to be featured on this list. The testing of the Tsar Bomba was carried out at the Mityushikha Bay site, on the Russian island of Novaya Zemlya. The bomb’s yield was astonishingly strong, with its 50 Megaton-strong explosive force causing seriously stunning effects. Its fireball was 5 miles across and almost reached and engulfed the Tupolev Tu-95 plane that dropped it. The mushroom cloud it produced could be seen for hundreds of miles away.