President Harry Truman

Harry Truman was the 33rd president of the United States until 1953, after President Franklin Roosevelt. He did many memorable things like rebuild postwar Europe, contain communism, drop the atomic bomb on Japan, and lead the US into the Korean war. Born on May 8th 1884, in Lamar, Missouri on a farm, Harry was a smart student, yet was financially unable to attend college after he graduated high school in 1901. He had many small jobs while he helped his father on the farm, and served in the Missouri National Guard. In 1917 when WW1 began he reenlisted and was sent to France where he was promoted to captain. After the war a Kansas political boss helped him get elected as the district judge in Jackson county, where he handled finance, and public projects. In 1926 he became the presiding judge and was reelected 4 years later because of his integrity and efficiency. 4 years after that he became a senator on the US senate, and highly supported Roosevelt's new deal programs which were trying to help America out of the Great Depression. While in the senate he saved taxpayers millions, and was admired for his assembly of the "Truman committee," which worked to reduce military spending. During Roosevelt's 4th term, he chose Truman as his running mate, and 3 months after he was elected Roosevelt suddenly died due to health reasons at age 63, leaving Harry Truman as the President of the United States. Truman was first at a loss as he had only spoke with Roosevelt a couple times before his death, and had no idea about the atomic bomb being constructed. After the Potsdamn Conference, Truman approved the atomic bomb attack on Japan to try and end the war in the Pacific, and prevent an invasion from Japan. In 1945 on August 14th the Japanese surrendered, however his approval of the use of the atomic bomb is still thought to be one of the most controversial decisions made by any US president. At the start of the cold war, Truman began a containment policy toward soviet expansion and communism. He also introduced the Truman Doctrine to protect Greece and Turkey from communist aggression, as well as the Marshall plan which donated billions to help rebuild the European nations. He airlifted food and supplies to Berlin in 1948 which was being blockaded by the Soviet Union. His popularity was decreasing as the American economy was deteriorating, however in the next election, he travelled by railroad around the country giving speeches, and surprisingly was reelected as President. His second term began 1949, and his inauguration speech was the first ever to be televised. He immediently began a social reform plan, known as the Fair Deal, that had national medical insurance, federal housing, higher min wage, farmer assistance, repeal of the Taft-Hartley labor act, more social security, and civil rights reforms. While Congress prevented most of this he did introduce the housing act of 1949, issued desegregation in the armed forces, and prevented federal job discrimination. He supported NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), and appointed Dwight Eisenhower as the first commander of the 12 country military alliance. In 1950 Truman sent planes to help South Korea after the North Korean invasion, and while it preserved South Koreas independence, Truman was disliked for this. After his second term ended Truman left the Presidency to Eisenhower in 1953.

http://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/harry-truman
https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/harrystruman
http://millercenter.org/president/truman
http://millercenter.org/president/biography/truman-life-in-brief