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]

Memes that have used the quote include Luigi Death Stare, Star Wars, Grumpy Cat, and many more.

Various Examples

Related Memes

Elon Musk's "I Am Become Meme"

I Am Become Meme is a quote spoken by Elon Musk during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on February 20th, 2025. The statement is a reference to J. Robert Oppenheimer's memorable quote, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." Musk's quote went viral on social media shortly after Musk said it, with many finding it cringeworthy. Musk's decision to go on stage in sunglasses, supposedly a reference to his D.O.G.E. AI avatar, also became the subject of discourse online, with some spreading unfounded rumors that he was high on drugs during the speech and covering his eyes.

External References