‘That’s the one thing we did’: New Zealand irked by Trump’s false claim US split the atom

Mayor says he will invite incoming US ambassador to visit the memorial to Sir Ernest Rutherford, the New Zealander who split the atom in a British laboratory

New Zealanders are not typically ones for splitting hairs, but when it comes to who split the atom, you had better have your facts straight - particularly if you have just been sworn in as the 47th US president.

During his inaugural address on Monday, Donald Trump reeled off a list of US achievements, including a claim that its experts split the atom.