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Harry S. Truman [b] (May 8, 1884 – December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as a United States senator from Missouri from 1935 to 1945 and briefly as the 34th vice president in 1945 under Franklin D. Roosevelt.
- Harry S. Truman’s Early Years
- From County Judge to U.S. Vice President
- Franklin D. Roosevelt Dies in Office
- Harry S. Truman’s First Administration: 1945-1949
- Harry Truman’s Second Administration: 1949-1953
- Harry S. Truman’s Final Years
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Harry S. Truman was born on May 8, 1884, in the farm community of Lamar, Missouri, to John Truman (1851-1914), a livestock trader, and Martha Young Truman (1852-1947). (Truman’s parents gave him the middle initial S to honor his grandfathers, Anderson Shipp Truman and Solomon Young, although the S didn’t stand for a specific name.) In 1890, the Tru...
In 1922, Harry Truman, with the backing of Kansas City political boss Thomas Pendergast (1873-1945), was elected district judge in Jackson County, Missouri, an administrative position that involved handling the county’s finances, public works projects and other affairs. In 1926, Truman won the election as the county’s presiding judge. Earning a rep...
In 1944, as Roosevelt sought an unprecedented fourth term as president, Truman was selected as his running mate, replacing Vice President Henry Wallace (1888-1965), a divisive figure in the Democratic Party. (Truman, a moderate Democrat, was jokingly referred to as the “second Missouri Compromise.”) In the general election, Roosevelt easily defeate...
Upon assuming the presidency, Harry Truman, who had met privately with Roosevelt only a few times before his death and had never been informed by the president about the construction of the atomic bomb, faced a series of monumental challenges and decisions. During Truman’s initial months in office, the war in Europe ended when the Allies accepted N...
Harry Truman was sworn in for his second term in January 1949; his inauguration was the first to be nationally televised. The president set forth an ambitious social reform agenda, known as the Fair Deal, which included national medical insurance, federal housing programs, a higher minimum wage, assistance for farmers, repeal of the Taft-Hartley la...
After Eisenhower’s inauguration in January 1953, Harry and Bess Truman traveled by train from Washington to their home in Independence. There, the former president penned his memoirs, met with visitors, continued his habit of brisk daily walks and raised funds for the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library, which opened in Independence in 1957. After...
Learn about the life and legacy of Harry S. Truman, the 33rd U.S. president who assumed office after Franklin Roosevelt's death and made key decisions in World War II and the Cold War. Explore his early years, political career, achievements, challenges and controversies.
Apr 12, 2024 · Harry S. Truman, 33rd president of the United States (1945–53), who led his country through the final stages of World War II and through the early years of the Cold War, vigorously opposing Soviet expansionism in Europe and sending U.S. forces to turn back a communist invasion during the Korean War.
- Alfred Steinberg
- Harry S. Truman served as the 33rd president of the United States from April 12, 1945, to January 20, 1953.
- Vice President Harry S. Truman was sworn in as president of the United States on April 12, 1945, after the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt...
- Harry S. Truman authorized the development of the hydrogen bomb in 1950 to maintain an arms lead over the Soviet Union. By the end of the decade, t...
- Harry S. Truman reportedly responded, “By God, I'm going to let them [North Korea] have it!” He did not ask Congress for a declaration of war and w...
Learn about the life and achievements of Harry S. Truman, the 33rd President of the United States who faced many challenges and made historic decisions. Explore his role in World War II, the atomic bomb, the Cold War, the Fair Deal, and more.
Harry S. Truman's tenure as the 33rd president of the United States began on April 12, 1945, upon the death of president Franklin D. Roosevelt, and ended on January 20, 1953. He had been vice president for only 82 days when he succeeded to the presidency.
Learn about the life and presidency of Harry S. Truman, who became president in 1945 after Roosevelt's death. He made crucial decisions on atomic bombs, the UN, the Fair Deal, the Truman Doctrine, and Korea.
Harry S. Truman became President of the United States with the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt on April 12, 1945. During his nearly eight years in office, Truman confronted enormous challenges in both foreign and domestic affairs.
