Harry S. Truman (1884–1972) was the 33rd President of the United States, serving from April 12, 1945 to January 20, 1953. A Democrat, he assumed the presidency after Franklin D. Roosevelt's death and guided the nation through the end of World War II and the early Cold War.
Truman reshaped America's postwar role, moving the nation from global war to Cold War leadership through the Marshall Plan, the Truman Doctrine, the Berlin Airlift, and the creation of NATO while confronting crises such as the Korean War.
On the domestic front he promoted the Fair Deal and took historic steps on civil rights, notably issuing Executive Order 9981 to desegregate the armed forces; his plainspoken leadership and decisive choices left a complex but enduring legacy that gained greater respect over time.
Assumed the presidency in 1945 and guided the transition from World War II to peacetime; Authorized use of atomic weapons against Japan (Hiroshima and Nagasaki); Articulated the Truman Doctrine and enacted the Marshall Plan to contain Soviet expansion; Supported the Berlin Airlift and helped establish NATO; Recognized the State of Israel in 1948; Issued Executive Order 9981 to desegregate the armed forces and led the U.S. during the Korean War (1950–1953)
Key highlights and dated events associated with this presidency.
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On May 10, 1948, UN‑supervised elections were held in South Korea—an effort supported by the United States—to establish a southern government after Japanese rule and Soviet occupation.
The U.S. Supreme Court held that major film studios' practices of block booking and ownership of theater chains violated antitrust law and required structural changes to the industry.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Shelley v. Kraemer that state courts could not enforce racially restrictive covenants on property, striking down judicial enforcement of private housing covenants that barred sales to Black Americans and other minorities.
U.S. representatives joined delegates from 20 other American states in Bogotá to sign the Charter establishing the Organization of American States (OAS).
The United States carried out the second nuclear detonation of Operation Sandstone at Enewetak Atoll.
The United States detonated the first nuclear device of Operation Sandstone at Enewetak Atoll in the Pacific.
President Truman named industrialist Paul G. Hoffman to head the newly created Economic Cooperation Administration established by the Economic Cooperation Act (Marshall Plan).
President Truman signed the Economic Cooperation Act, creating the Economic Cooperation Administration (ECA) and authorizing U.S. aid for European recovery under the Marshall Plan.
On March 17, 1948 the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg signed the Treaty of Brussels, creating the Western Union for mutual defense and economic, cultural, and social cooperation.
On February 25, 1948, Communist ministers in Czechoslovakia consolidated power after a government crisis, effectively bringing the country under Communist control; the Truman administration publicly condemned the takeover.
President Truman publicly condemned the Communist Party's takeover of the Czechoslovak government after the Feb 25 coup, denouncing the action as antidemocratic.
On February 25, 1948, Communist Party leaders consolidated control of the Czechoslovak government after President Edvard Beneš accepted a Communist-dominated cabinet following the resignation of non-Communist ministers.