Robert Oppenheimer was an American theoretical physicist best known for his role as the scientific director of the Manhattan Project, the World War II initiative that developed the first nuclear weapons. Born on April 22, 1904, in New York City, he studied at prestigious institutions like Harvard University and University of Göttingen. Oppenheimer's leadership and expertise were crucial in the successful testing of the first atomic bomb in July 1945 at the Trinity Test in New Mexico. After the war, he became a prominent advocate for the peaceful use of nuclear energy and served as the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission.