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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The UN Security Council passed Resolution 82 calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of North Korean forces to the 38th Parallel after the June 25 invasion of South Korea.
On June 25, 1950 the North Korean People’s Army crossed the 38th Parallel and invaded South Korea, beginning large-scale hostilities on the Korean Peninsula.
The National Security Council completed and presented top‑secret policy paper NSC‑68 to President Truman, urging a significant expansion of U.S. political, economic, and military measures to counter the Soviet threat.
The Soviet Union and the newly established People's Republic of China signed a formal treaty of friendship, alliance, and mutual assistance in Moscow.
In a speech in Wheeling, West Virginia, Senator Joseph McCarthy claimed he had a list of 205 Communists working in the State Department.
British authorities arrested Klaus Fuchs on suspicion of passing atomic secrets to the Soviet Union; he later confessed to espionage.
On January 31, 1950 President Truman announced that the United States would proceed with development of a thermonuclear (hydrogen) bomb following the Soviet atomic test the previous year.
A federal jury convicted former State Department official Alger Hiss of perjury for denying under oath that he had passed classified documents to Whittaker Chambers.
At a major public address, Secretary of State Acheson outlined the U.S. defense perimeter in the Pacific—naming areas the United States would defend while notably not including Korea among explicitly protected territories.
President Truman delivered his annual message to Congress urging expansion of his 'Fair Deal' program—calling for higher minimum wage, expanded Social Security, national health insurance, housing aid, civil rights measures—and emphasizing national security and foreign aid needs.
President Truman signed the Revenue Act of 1949, enacting a package of tax reductions for individuals and corporations.
Sherman Minton took the judicial oath and formally assumed his seat on the Supreme Court.