Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884 - December 26, 1972) was the thirty-fourth Vice President (1945) and the thirty-third President of the United States (1945-1953), succeeding to the office upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Truman's presidency was eventful, seeing the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the end of World War II, the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe, the beginning of the Cold War, the desegregation of the U.S. armed forces, the formation of the United Nations, the second red scare, the creation of the CIA, and most of the Korean War. Truman was a folksy, unassuming president, and popularized phrases such as "The buck stops here" and "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." He overcame the low expectations of many, particularly in the shadow of his politically-dominant predecessor, and although he decided not to run for re-election in 1952 due to low approval ratings, he is now commonly rated among the great Presidents by historians.
