* In the 19th century, chemists established the reality of atoms, and created the periodic table to list them with their properties. In the early 20th, physicists went on to probe the structure of the atom, leading not merely to a deeper understanding of chemistry, but also to technical exploitation of the vast energies lurking in the atom -- which would permanently change the nature of global geopolitics. This document provides a historical and technical survey of atomic physics and technology.
