Harry S. Truman (1884 - 1972) was the 34th Vice President under Franklin Roosevelt and 33rd President, serving from 1945 to 1953. Born on May 8, 1884, he became president after the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt in April 1945, during the final months of World War II. Truman's presidency is marked by several significant events in both domestic and international affairs.

One of his most pivotal decisions was ordering the use of atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, leading to Japan's surrender and the end of World War II. Truman also oversaw the establishment of the United Nations and the implementation of the Marshall Plan, which provided economic aid to rebuild war-torn Europe.

In the early years of the Cold War, Truman adopted a policy of containing the spread of communism, exemplified by the Truman Doctrine, which pledged U.S. support to countries resisting communist influence, particularly in Greece and Turkey. He also initiated the Berlin Airlift to supply West Berlin during a Soviet blockade and helped create NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) in 1949.

Truman's domestic policies included efforts to promote civil rights and economic fairness, but his approval ratings were low during his final years in office due to the Korean War, which began in 1950. Despite this, Truman is generally regarded as a decisive leader who faced some of the most challenging periods in modern history.