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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Soviet occupation authorities proclaimed the German Democratic Republic in the Soviet zone, formally creating East Germany as a separate socialist state.
President Truman signed the Mutual Defense Assistance Act, authorizing U.S. military aid to foreign governments and allies.
The U.S. Senate voted to confirm President Truman's nominee Sherman Minton to serve as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
The Soviet government formally extended diplomatic recognition to the newly proclaimed People’s Republic of China one day after Mao's declaration.
Mao Zedong announced the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in Beijing, declaring the victory of the Chinese Communist Party over the Nationalists.
On September 23, 1949, President Truman publicly acknowledged that U.S. intelligence had determined the Soviet Union had tested an atomic device.
President Harry S. Truman announced that U.S. intelligence and the Atomic Energy Commission had concluded the Soviet Union had detonated an atomic bomb.
On September 15, 1949, President Truman announced the nomination of former Senator and federal judge Sherman Minton to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court.
President Truman nominated Court of Appeals Judge Sherman Minton to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of Justice Wiley B. Rutledge.
Associate Justice Wiley B. Rutledge died on September 10, 1949, creating a vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court.
A nuclear device was detonated by the Soviet Union at Semipalatinsk (RDS-1), marking the first confirmed Soviet atomic explosion.
After ratification by the signatory governments, the North Atlantic Treaty formally entered into force, creating the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).