Bikini was named after an atomic bomb testing site
Bikini was named after an American nuclear bomb testing site Bikini Atoll, as "it arrived with a bang." Promoted as “smaller than the world’s smallest bathing suit,” the swimsuit grew in popularity in Europe and the US during the 1950s and 60s. Louis Réard, the inventor of the two-piece costume, died 32 years ago on September 16, 1984.