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Today in History: Harry S. Truman Is Born
05/08/10
Harry S. Truman, the 33rd President of the United States, was born in Missouri on May 8, 1884. As President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s running mate, Truman was elected vice president in 1944. He assumed the nation’s highest office on April 12, 1945, when Roosevelt died only a few weeks into his fourth term. One of Truman’s most crucial decisions as president came in August of that year, when he approved the use of an atomic bomb against Japan. He explained his determination to bring World War II to an end in a statement to the American people.
Truman continued to face foreign policy crises throughout the remainder of his presidency. In 1947—as relations between the United States and Soviet Union deteriorated in the aftermath of World War II—Truman pledged to assist any democratic government around the world that was threatened by the forces of totalitarianism. The policy he articulated became known as the Truman Doctrine, and it retained its influence throughout the Cold War.
Following his election in 1948, with war looming in Korea, Truman again spoke out against the spread of communism in his inaugural address. “The peoples of the earth face the future with grave uncertainty, composed almost equally of great hopes and great fears,” he stated. “In this time of doubt, they look to the United States as never before for good will, strength, and wise leadership.”
Read HARRY S. TRUMAN’S STATEMENT ANNOUNCING THE USE OF THE A-BOMB ON HIROSHIMA
Read the TRUMAN DOCTRINE
Read HARRY S. TRUMAN’S INAUGURAL ADDRESS