Mururoa, was the site of extensive nuclear testing by France between 1966 and 1996, as well as the site of numerous protests by various vessels, including the Rainbow Warrior, later bombed and sunk in Auckland harbour by French saboteurs.

Mururoa was established as a nuclear test site by France in September 1962,

The first nuclear test was conducted in July, 1966. 41 atmospheric nuclear tests were conducted at Mururoa between 1966 and 1974, from barges, from bombers, and from helium filled balloons.

France abandoned nuclear testing in the atmosphere in 1974 and moved testing underground in the midst of intense world pressure. A total of 147 underground nuclear tests were conducted at Mururoa and nearby Fangataufa. Shafts were drilled deep into the volcanic rocks underlying the atolls where nuclear devices were detonated. This practice created much controversy as cracking of the atolls was discovered, resulting in fears that the radioactive material trapped under the atolls would eventually escape and contaminate the surrounding ocean and neighboring atolls.

The test site at Mururoa was dismantled following France's last nuclear test to date, detonated on January 27, 1996, but the atoll is still guarded by the French Forces.