Imagine the atom - a small, powerful, electrically-charged particle that captures the attention of anyone who's ever witnessed it's explosive results.

Now imagine yourself the designer of a rather "explosive" piece of women's wear who's looking for a name to fit your latest creation: two small triangles of fabric that side-by-side will act like a bra top, and two larger triangles that will cover the front and backsides below the navel.

In 1946 Louis Reard, a French automotive engineer, found himself searching for a name for a spinoff piece of lingerie he'd designed to be used as a swimsuit. He had no idea what to call his creation until the U.S. Military provided him with the answer.

Nuclear testing was being done in the South Pacific on several small islands known as the "Bikini Atoll." Hearing this name, Reard knew it was exactly what he'd been looking for, and viola! - the bikini was born.

Coincidentally, his liberating design was unveiled in Paris on July 5th, 1946 - the day after the American day of Independence. However, the bikini was so small that Reard couldn't find any professional models to wear it on the runway. But inspiration struck again, and he hired Micheline Bernardini - an exotic dancer at the Casino de Paris - who certainly had no problem with the bikini's exposure level.

The impetus behind the bikini's design came as a result of wartime rationing. In 1943, the U.S. government had ordered a 10% reduction in the use of fabric in women's swimwear. Skirt panels were removed, and bare midriffs became acceptable. Reard, however, took those fabric reductions to the limit, using only 30 inches of fabric to make his entire bikini!

But not everyone was quite as enthusiastic about the swimsuit as the French. Many in America pressured Hollywood movie-makers from keeping them out of the cinema, and several predominantly Catholic European countries banned them from appearing on their beaches.

In 1960, the bikini began showing up in and on American stores and shores, and the song "Itsy Bitsy Teeie Weenine Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" seemed to lead the way to all of those Annette Funicello/Frankie Avalon celluloid beach parties. (And who could forget the image of Ursula Andress rising from the ocean in that famous Bond-girl bikini?)

The 70s brought with it a variety of different fabrics, and the introduction of the "thong" from Brazil - basically a bikini with only three triangles instead of four.

Nowadays, women are just as likely to wear a figure flattering one-piece, as they are a sports-bra style top and board shorts (a style borrowed from our surfriding sisters.) However, the bikini will always have its place in the hearts and minds of anyone who's ever seen a Baywatch episode, enjoyed a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, or teeny-bopped to "Beach Blanket Bingo."