Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884 – December 26, 1972) was the 33rd President of the United States (1945–1953); as Vice President, he succeeded to the office upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt. | Truman, whose personal style contrasted sharply with that of the patrician Roosevelt, was a folksy, unassuming president. He overcame the low expectations of many political observers who compared him unfavorably to his highly regarded predecessor. President Truman suddenly assumed office at a watershed moment in the twentieth century: the end of the Second World War both in Europe and Pacific took place in his first months in office; he was the only President ever to authorize the use of the atomic bomb (against Japan); he sponsored the creation of the United Nations; he presided over the rebuilding of Japan and helped rebuild Europe through the Marshall Plan; he recognized the new state of Israel; and the Cold War began in his first term which took the form of a hot conflict by 1950 in the Korean War. Although he was forced to abandon his re-election campaign in 1952 because of the quagmire in Korea and extremely low approval ratings, scholars today rank him among the better presidents. |
