Harry S. Truman – 33
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States of America. He remained the President from 1945 to 1953.
It was during his reign that the first atomic bomb was dropped by USA on Japan, bringing about vast destruction and a quick end to the World War II.
When and where was he born?
Harry S. Truman was born in Lamar, Missouri on May 8, 1884.
Early Life
Harry S. Truman was born to a poor family. He spent the early years of his life on his family’s farm. During this period, his family couldn’t afford the expenses of his education. So Truman studied at school and worked after the school to pay the expenses.
He worked many odd jobs during his early life. These included working as a farmer and a bookkeeper. During the World War I, he served in the American army and fought in France. When he returned from war, he again had to struggle to find a secure job.
After some failed ventures, he turned to politics and was elected as a judge. He worked on this seat for many years before he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1935. This was his major political breakthrough.
He served in the U.S. Senate for the next ten years. In 1944, Franklin D. Roosevelt ran for Presidency for the 4th time. He chose Harry S. Truman as his Vice President. They won the election and Truman became the Vice President. Roosevelt died in 1945 and Truman succeeded him to the office of President.
Life as the President
When Harry S. Truman became President in 1945, the World War II was still going on. Although Europe was relatively safe and the war was nearly over, the Japanese front was still raging. Although American and allied forces had defeated the Japanese forces in most engagements, the Japanese fiercely resisted the advance of the allied powers.
After realising that ending Japanese involvement in war would cost thousands of more lives if Japanese continued to fight, Truman decided to use the atomic bomb.
This devastating bomb was used on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The first of these was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. The large-scale destruction forced the Japanese to surrender and quickly brought the war to an end.
After the war had ended, Truman played an important role in the reconstruction of Europe. European nations had suffered a lot during World War II. USA, under Truman’s leadership, decided to help Europe and its economy get back on their feet.
It was also during Truman’s Presidency that Soviet Union emerged as a major communist power. Truman formed an alliance with the European nations in order to combat Soviet Union’s growing power. This alliance came to be known as the NATO.
Later Life and Death
Truman served as President for two consecutive terms. His Presidency ended on 1953. He lived for nearly twenty years after that and died on December 26, 1972 in Independence, Missouri.
Read More about President Harry S Truman on Wikipedia
- American Presidents List
- Abraham Lincoln -16
- Andrew Jackson – 7
- Barack Obama – 44
- Benjamin Harrison – 23
- Bill Clinton – 42nd
- Calvin Coolidge – 30
- Chester A. Arthur – 21
- Donald Trump – 45
- Dwight D. Eisenhower – 34
- Franklin D. Roosevelt – 32
- Franklin Pierce – 14
- George H. W. Bush – 41
- George W. Bush – 43
- George Washington – 1
- Gerald R. Ford Jr – 38
- Grover Cleveland – 22 & 24
- Harry S. Truman – 33
- Herbert Hoover – 31
- James A Garfield – 20
- James Buchanan – 15
- James K Polk – 11
- James Monroe – 5
- Jimmy E. Carter – 39
- Joe Biden – 46th (Current)
- John Adams – 2
- John F. Kennedy – 35
- John Quincy Adams – 6
- John Tyler – 10
- Lyndon B. Johnson – 36
- Martin Van Buren – 8
- Millard Fillmore – 13
- Richard M. Nixon – 37
- Ronald W. Reagan – 40
- Rutherford B. Hayes – 19
- Theodore Roosevelt – 26
- Thomas Jefferson – 3
- Warren G. Harding – 29
- William Henry Harrison – 9
- William McKinley – 25
- William Taft – 27
- Woodrow Wilson – 28
- Zachary Taylor – 12
- James Madison – 4
- Andrew Johnson – 17
