# Fame.am profile — machine-readable export
# Canonical URL: https://fame.am/person/william-sterling-parsons
# Generated: 2026-08-14T20:46:14.683Z

schema: https://schema.org/Person
url: "https://fame.am/person/william-sterling-parsons"
name: "William Sterling Parsons"
slug: "william-sterling-parsons"
description: "William Sterling \"Deak\" Parsons was an American naval officer who worked as an ordnance expert on the Manhattan Project during World War II. He is best known for being the weaponeer on the Enola Gay, the aircraft which dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, in 1945. To avoid the possibility of a nuclear explosion if the aircraft crashed and burned on takeoff, he decided to arm the bomb in flight. While the aircraft was en route to Hiroshima, Parsons climbed into the cramped and dark bomb bay, and inserted the powder charge and detonator. He was awarded the Silver Star for his part in the mission."
tagline: "American Naval officer (1901–1953)"
image: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Rear_Admiral_Deak_Parsons.jpg?width=1200"
gender: "male"
country:
  name: "United States"
  isoCode: "US"
birthDate: "1901-11-26"
deathDate: "1953-12-05"
livingStatus: "DECEASED"
scores:
  popularity:           48.93
  momentum:             0
  historical:           12.74511066666667
  currentAttention:     0
  sourceConfidence:     60
  profileCompleteness:  50
  trendDirection:       "STABLE"
ranks:
  global:   null
  country:  null
  category: null
sources:
  - url: "https://pt.wikiquote.org/wiki/William_Sterling_Parsons"
    title: "Wikiquote"
    type:  "WEBSITE"
  - url: "https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%88%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%85_%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%BA_%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B3%D9%88%D9%86%D8%B2"
    title: "ويليام ستيرلينغ بارسونز"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://arz.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%88%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%85_%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%86%D8%AC_%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B3%D9%88%D9%86%D8%B2"
    title: "ويليام ستيرلينج بارسونز"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Sterling_Parsons"
    title: "William Sterling Parsons"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Sterling_Parsons"
    title: "William Sterling Parsons"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Sterling_Parsons"
    title: "William Sterling Parsons"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Sterling_Parsons"
    title: "William Sterling Parsons"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%88%DB%8C%D9%84%DB%8C%D8%A7%D9%85_%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%84%DB%8C%D9%86%DA%AF_%D9%BE%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%B3%D9%88%D9%86%D8%B2"
    title: "ویلیام استرلینگ پارسونز"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Sterling_Parsons"
    title: "William Sterling Parsons"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Sterling_Parsons"
    title: "William Sterling Parsons"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Sterling_Parsons"
    title: "William Sterling Parsons"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Sterling_Parsons"
    title: "William Sterling Parsons"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Sterling_Parsons"
    title: "William Sterling Parsons"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9F%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%81%2C_%D0%A3%D0%B8%D0%BB%D1%8C%D1%8F%D0%BC_%D0%A1%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B3"
    title: "Парсонс, Уильям Стерлинг"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%92%D1%96%D0%BB%D1%8C%D1%8F%D0%BC_%D0%A1%D1%82%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%BB%D1%96%D0%BD%D0%B3_%D0%9F%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%BD%D1%81"
    title: "Вільям Стерлінг Парсонс"
    type:  "WIKIPEDIA"
  - url: "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3568975"
    title: "Wikidata"
    type:  "WIKIDATA"

# bio (long form, separated for readability)
bio: |
  Imported from discovery source: wikidata-dump