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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President Truman signed the National School Lunch Act into law, establishing a federally assisted meal program for public and nonprofit private schools.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Morgan v. Virginia that state laws requiring racial segregation on interstate buses were unconstitutional.
Chief Justice Harlan F. Stone died on April 22, 1946, producing a vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court.
At Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, Winston Churchill delivered his 'Sinews of Peace' address warning that an 'iron curtain' had descended across Europe, with President Truman attending the event.
Diplomat George F. Kennan sent his influential 'Long Telegram' from Moscow, outlining Soviet objectives and recommending a policy of containment.
George F. Kennan, chargé d'affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, sent an 8,000-word 'Long Telegram' analyzing Soviet motivations and recommending a policy of firm containment of Soviet expansion.
President Harry S. Truman signed the Employment Act of 1946 into law, committing the federal government to promote maximum employment, production, and purchasing power.
President Truman signed the Employment Act of 1946, declaring that it is the policy and responsibility of the federal government to promote maximum employment, production, and purchasing power and establishing the framework for the Council of Economic Advisers.
The United Nations General Assembly elected Norwegian diplomat Trygve Lie as the organization's first Secretary-General.
On February 2, 1946 the United Nations General Assembly elected Norway's Trygve Lie as the organization's first Secretary‑General following a Security Council recommendation.
President Truman issued a directive establishing the Central Intelligence Group (CIG) as a peacetime intelligence-coordination body and appointed Admiral Sidney W. Souers as its first head.
President Truman delivered his annual message to Congress on January 21, 1946, outlining his administration's postwar domestic and foreign priorities, including reconversion to a peacetime economy, employment and housing initiatives, and support for international institutions.