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 delivered a nationwide announcement that Japan had accepted the terms of the Allies' surrender demands, effectively ending major combat in World War II (V‑J Day in the United States).
On August 9, 1945, Soviet forces launched a large-scale offensive against Japanese Kwantung Army positions in Manchuria, beginning the Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation.
U.S. forces dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan, an action that President Truman publicly acknowledged the same day.
The Soviet government announced it was declaring war on Japan, formally ending its neutrality in the Pacific theater.
President Truman informed the American public that U.S. forces had dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, marking the first use of nuclear weapons in war.
After the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis was torpedoed and sank on July 30, U.S. patrol aircraft located survivors on August 2 and rescue ships recovered many of the crew over the next days.
The Potsdam Conference formally ended on August 2, 1945, after Allied leaders concluded negotiations on occupation, administration of defeated Germany, and postwar arrangements in Europe and Asia.
The heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine and sank in the Philippine Sea, resulting in the loss of hundreds of crew and leaving many survivors stranded at sea.
Following the British general election results declared July 26, Labour leader Clement Attlee arrived at the Potsdam Conference on July 28 to replace Winston Churchill as Britain's head of delegation.
The cruiser USS Indianapolis completed a top-secret mission delivering critical components of the 'Little Boy' atomic bomb to the island of Tinian.
Results of the British general election were announced, replacing Winston Churchill's wartime government with Clement Attlee's Labour government—a development Truman learned of during the Potsdam Conference.
The United States, United Kingdom, and China issued the Potsdam Declaration outlining terms for Japan's unconditional surrender and warning of 'prompt and utter destruction' if Japan did not capitulate.