!["Now I Am Become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds" "Now I Am Become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds"](https://i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/mobile/000/021/467/cover9.jpg)
"Now I Am Become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds"
Part of a series on J. Robert Oppenheimer / Oppenposting. [View Related Entries]
About
"Now I Am Become Death, the Destroyer of Worlds" is a quote from scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer, theoretical physicist and credited father of the atomic bomb.[1] Online, it has grown into a popular caption for image macros.
Origin
In an interview about the first test of the atomic bomb, first televised in 1965 as part of a documentary called The Decision to Drop the Bomb, Oppenheimer remarked that upon seeing the test, he thought "Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds." He was quoting the 1944 Prabhavananda and Isherwood translation of Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad Gita.[2]
Spread
The quote became one of the most famous in American history.[3] In pop culture, it has been widely referenced, appearing in films, television shows, video games, and more.[4] Online, the quote has drawn discussion since as early as 2003,[5] as people have discussed its significance in American history and pondered about its peculiar grammatical construction.[6]
The quote has long been humorously applied to images of non-threatening subjects, one of the earliest being "Fluffy," shown below, who dates back to 2004.[7]
![I am become Fluffy This is Fluffy He is the destroyer of worlds.](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/001/179/599/496.jpg)
Memes that have used the quote include Luigi Death Stare, Star Wars, Grumpy Cat, and many more.
Various Examples
![Now I am become death. THE DESTROYER OF WORLDS](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/masonry/000/625/120/081.gif)
![I am become death, Remover of Kebab. I am become death, Remover of Kebab.](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/masonry/001/149/857/1be.jpg)
![I am become death I AM BECOME DEATH, DESTROYER OF TRAITORS](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/masonry/001/058/709/b6c.jpg)
![Now I Am Become Death NOW I AM BECOME DEATH](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/masonry/000/782/348/19c.gif)
![The destroyer of worlds NOWIAM BECOMEDEAT](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/masonry/000/768/833/b00.jpg)
![...Destroyer Of Worlds. IAM BECOME DEATH](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/masonry/000/624/462/134.gif)
External References
[1] Wikipedia – J. Robert Oppenheimer
[2] Wikiquote – Robert Oppenheimer
[3] Huffington Post – 10 Quotes That Changed The Way We Look At The World
[4] TV Tropes – Stock Quotes
[5] Anandtech – Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.
[6] Quora – What is the significance of the grammatical error in now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds?
[7] Manojar – Fluffy 2004
Top Comments
Bruno the Rustler
Oct 11, 2016 at 05:05PM EDT
Nox Lucis
Oct 11, 2016 at 05:58PM EDT