Doomsday Clock facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Doomsday Clock
The Doomsday Clock pictured at its setting of "85 seconds to midnight", last changed on January 27, 2026
Frequency	Annually
Inaugurated	June 1947 (1947-06)
Most recent	January 27, 2026
Organized by	Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

The Doomsday Clock is a special symbol. It shows how close experts think humanity is to a huge, worldwide disaster caused by people. This idea comes from a group called the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

Since 1947, this Clock has helped us think about big dangers. These dangers come from new science and technology that aren't managed well. Midnight on the Clock means a global disaster. The number of minutes or seconds to midnight shows how close the experts believe we are to this "zero hour." They check and update this time every January.

The main things that make the Clock move are the threat of nuclear weapons, climate change, and new artificial intelligence technologies. The Bulletin's team watches for new discoveries that could seriously harm humanity.

When the Clock first started in 1947, it was set to seven minutes before midnight. Since then, it has moved back (further from midnight) eight times. It has also moved forward (closer to midnight) 18 times. The furthest it has ever been from midnight was 17 minutes in 1991. The closest it has ever been is 85 seconds in 2026.

The Clock moved to 150 seconds (2 minutes, 30 seconds) in 2017. Then, it moved to two minutes to midnight in 2018 and stayed there in 2019. It moved to 100 seconds (1 minute, 40 seconds) in 2020. In 2023, it moved to 90 seconds (1 minute, 30 seconds). It was set to 89 seconds (1 minute, 29 seconds) in 2025. Most recently, on January 27, 2026, it moved to 85 seconds (1 minute, 25 seconds).

The Story Behind the Doomsday Clock

The cover of the 1947 Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists magazine, showing the Doomsday Clock at "seven minutes to midnight."

The Doomsday Clock began with a group of scientists called the Chicago Atomic Scientists. These researchers had worked on a big project to create the first atomic bombs. After these powerful weapons were used, the scientists became very worried about the future.

They started publishing a magazine called the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Since 1947, this magazine has featured the Clock on every cover. The artist Martyl Langsdorf designed the first Clock for the June 1947 issue. She chose a clock face to show how urgent the situation was. It was like a countdown, suggesting that big problems would happen unless people acted to stop them.

One of the Bulletin's founders, Eugene Rabinowitch, explained that the Clock isn't just about daily world events. Instead, it shows how much danger humanity faces in the age of nuclear weapons.

In 2007, the Clock got a new, modern look. By 2009, the Bulletin magazine became fully digital. Now, you can find the Clock as part of the logo on their website. The website also shares information about events and the Clock's history.

For example, in 2013, a special event called the Doomsday Clock Symposium was held. Experts talked about how to communicate big dangers to the public. The Clock has been changed 25 times since it started in 1947. It has become a well-known symbol around the world.

What Makes the Clock Move?

The "midnight" on the Doomsday Clock means more than just the danger of war. Each year, the scientists at the Bulletin think about many things when they decide what "global catastrophe" means. They consider different areas like world politics, energy use, new weapons, and climate science.

The possible dangers they look at include nuclear threats, climate change, and new technologies like artificial intelligence. They also consider threats from dangerous diseases created on purpose. The board members discuss how close they believe humanity is to the end of civilization. When the Clock first started in 1947, during a time of tension called the Cold War, it was set to seven minutes before midnight.

How the Clock Has Changed Over Time

The Doomsday Clock has moved closer to or further from midnight many times. Before 2020, the closest it had been was two minutes to midnight. This happened in 1953 when the U.S. and the Soviet Union started testing powerful hydrogen bombs. It also happened in 2018 because world leaders weren't dealing with nuclear weapons and climate change issues.

The Clock has been as far as 17 minutes from midnight in 1991. In 2017, it moved to 2 minutes and 30 seconds to midnight. Scientists like Lawrence Krauss warned that leaders must make choices based on facts to protect humanity's future. The Bulletin asked for wise leaders and citizens to help steer human life away from disaster.

On January 24, 2018, the Clock moved to two minutes to midnight. This was mainly due to nuclear threats. Scientists pointed to strong words and actions from countries like North Korea and the U.S. They said these actions increased the chance of a nuclear war by accident.

The Clock stayed at two minutes to midnight in 2019. This was because of ongoing threats from nuclear weapons and climate change. These problems were made worse by the spread of false information online, which made global risks even higher.

On January 23, 2020, the Clock moved to 100 seconds (1 minute, 40 seconds) before midnight. This was the closest it had ever been at that time. Jerry Brown, the Bulletin's executive chairman, noted that dangerous rivalries between powerful nations increased the chance of nuclear mistakes. He added that climate change made the crisis even worse. The Clock stayed at 100 seconds in 2021 and 2022.

On January 24, 2023, the Clock moved to 90 seconds (1 minute, 30 seconds) before midnight. This change was largely due to the increased risk of nuclear conflict from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Other concerns included climate change, global health threats like COVID-19, and dangers from false information and new technologies.

On January 28, 2025, the Clock moved to 89 seconds (1 minute, 29 seconds) before midnight. In addition to previous concerns, the growing use of artificial intelligence in conflicts and on social media was highlighted as a new factor.

On January 27, 2026, the Clock moved to 85 seconds (1 minute, 25 seconds) before midnight. This is the closest it has ever been to midnight since it started in 1947.

Doomsday Clock Timeline

Doomsday Clock graph, 1947–2023. Lower points mean a higher chance of disaster, and higher points mean a lower chance, according to the Bulletin.

Timeline of the Doomsday Clock

Year	Minutes to midnight	Time (24-h)	Change (minutes)	Reason	Clock
1947	7	23:53	0	The Clock's first setting.
1949	3	23:57	−4	The Soviet Union tested its first atomic bomb, starting a nuclear arms race.
1953	2	23:58	−1	The U.S. and Soviet Union tested powerful hydrogen bombs. This was the closest until 2020.
1960	7	23:53	+5	Countries worked together more, understanding the dangers of nuclear weapons.
1963	12	23:48	+5	The U.S. and Soviet Union signed a treaty to limit nuclear testing.
1968	7	23:53	−5	Conflicts like the Vietnam War grew, and more countries developed nuclear weapons.
1969	10	23:50	+3	Many nations signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to stop the spread of nuclear weapons.
1972	12	23:48	+2	The U.S. and Soviet Union signed treaties to limit strategic arms.
1974	9	23:51	−3	India tested a nuclear device, and arms talks slowed down.
1980	7	23:53	−2	The Soviet–Afghan War began, increasing tensions between the U.S. and Soviet Union.
1981	4	23:56	−3	Tensions between the U.S. and Soviet Union grew, with new missile deployments in Europe.
1984	3	23:57	−1	More tensions between the U.S. and Soviet Union, with an ongoing arms race.
1988	6	23:54	+3	The U.S. and Soviet Union signed a treaty to eliminate intermediate-range nuclear missiles.
1990	10	23:50	+4	The fall of the Berlin Wall signaled the nearing end of the Cold War.
1991	17	23:43	+7	The U.S. and Soviet Union signed a major arms reduction treaty. The Soviet Union later dissolved.
1995	14	23:46	−3	Military spending remained high, and there were worries about nuclear weapons spreading.
1998	9	23:51	−5	India and Pakistan tested nuclear weapons, increasing regional tensions.
2002	7	23:53	−2	Slow progress on nuclear disarmament and concerns about nuclear terrorism.
2007	5	23:55	−2	North Korea tested a nuclear weapon, and climate change was added as a major threat.
2010	6	23:54	+1	Global cooperation improved to reduce nuclear arsenals and address climate change.
2012	5	23:55	−1	Lack of global action on climate change, nuclear weapons, and nuclear safety.
2015	3	23:57	−2	Continued lack of action on climate change and modernization of nuclear weapons.
2017	2+1⁄2	23:57:30	−1⁄2 (−30 s)	Concerns about nuclear weapons and disbelief in climate science by political leaders.
2018	2	23:58	−1⁄2 (−30 s)	World leaders failed to address nuclear war and climate change threats.
2020	1+2⁄3 (100 s)	23:58:20	−1⁄3 (−20 s)	Increased nuclear war threats and continued neglect of climate change.
2023	1+1⁄2 (90 s)	23:58:30	−1⁄6 (−10 s)	Increased risk of nuclear conflict from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
2025	1+29⁄60 (89 s)	23:58:31	−1⁄60 (−1 s)	Ongoing conflicts, nuclear spread, climate change, and new technologies.
2026	1+5⁄12 (85 s)	23:58:35	−1⁄15 (−4 s)	Continued conflicts, rising tensions in various regions, and growing global threats.

See also

In Spanish: Reloj del Apocalipsis para niños

• Apocalypticism
• The Bomb
• Climate apocalypse
• Climate Clock
• DEFCON
• Doomsday device
• Eschatology
• Extinction symbol
• Metronome
• Mutual assured destruction
• New World Order
• Nuclear terrorism
• Pax Atomica
• Svalbard Global Seed Vault
• World Scientists' Warning to Humanity