BIKINI

On this date in 1946, Micheline Bernardini, a stripper, modeled the first bikini swimsuit for the public at a special showing.   This followed the announcement on July 5th, by French automotive and clothing designer Louis Reard, that he was going to offer for sale the smallest swimsuit ever.

He called his two-piece design the "bikini" because the U.S. had just tested atom bombs above the small islands of the Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Island group.  He hoped that his new suits would be as explosive as the bombs.  I kid you not.

That atoll was used for nuclear testing by the U.S. through 1958.  The radiation level on those islands is still too high for safe habitation.  I kid you not.

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