WWII 75: Marching to Victory | July 17, 2020
WWII highlights from the Truman Library’s archives and collections
Marching to Victory: The Potsdam Conference
July 17, 1945
What do you do when you’re about to win a war and your mightiest ally seems just as dangerous as your enemies?
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WWII 75: Marching to Victory | July 16, 2020
WWII highlights from the Truman Library’s archives and collections
Marching to Victory: The Trinity Test
July 16, 1945
At 5:29 AM on July 16, 1945, an enormous explosion rocked the bleak desert of southern New Mexico. The cause of the blast was a device called the Gadget, which exploded with the force of forty million pounds of TNT. It produced intense heat, a light brighter than the sun, and a mushroom cloud 7.5 miles high that glowed yellow, then red, then purple. People felt the shockwave 100 miles from ground zero, and newspapers reported that a blind woman 150 miles away asked: “What’s that brilliant light?”
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WWII 75: Marching to Victory | July 5, 2020
WWII highlights from the Truman Library’s archives and collections
Marching to Victory: How Children Helped Win the War
July 5, 1945
World War II was a total war. Those who were not soldiers were mobilized to some degree. They conserved, raised money, boosted soldiers’ morale, worked in war manufacturing, and contributed to the war effort in countless other ways. Even young people participated in the war effort.
WWII 75: Marching to Victory | June 26, 2020
WWII highlights from the Truman Library’s archives and collections
Marching to Victory: The United Nations
June 26, 1945
Popular depictions of World War II concentrate on paratroopers, goose-stepping Nazis, Holocaust victims, tanks, aircraft carriers, and other symbols of the world at arms and the deaths of millions of people.
But violence was not the war’s only legacy.
An Update on the Truman Library’s Renovation | June 12, 2020
There is no better place in the United States to tell the story of America’s 33rd president than the Truman Library. And there is no better time to share Harry Truman’s life and legacy.
When the Midwestern farm boy who never went to college assumed the presidency in the final months of World War II, he inherited a worldwide catastrophe. With his “Buck Stops Here” leadership, he created post-war order at home and abroad. The new Truman exhibition will explore these achievements, from the Truman Committee and the Truman Doctrine to desegregating the military and recognizing Israel, for a 21st-century audience.
As the renovation completion date comes into view later this year, the Truman Library is looking more and more like the finished project. Here are a few renderings from the fly-through presentation alongside photos of the current progress. It’s exciting to see our plans become a reality.
WWII 75: Marching to Victory | June 5, 2020
WWII highlights from the Truman Library’s archives and collections
Marching to Victory: Civil Rights
June 5, 1945
President Truman knew that victory in WWII depended on the full participation of “all available workers regardless of race, creed or color.” When Congress abruptly dropped appropriations for the Fair Employment Practice Committee (FEPC) – the agency in charge of protecting Americans from discrimination in defense industries or government – in the spring of 1945, Truman launched an impassioned defense of the FEPC and civil rights.
WWII 75: Marching to Victory | June 2, 2020
WWII highlights from the Truman Library’s archives and collections
Marching to Victory: Victory Gardens
June 2, 1945
Although Nazi Germany had surrendered weeks earlier and the Japanese Empire was near collapse, President Truman sent a strong message to Americans on June 2, 1945 about winning the war…and winning the peace.
On the anniversary of Harry Truman’s recognition of Israel | May 14, 2020
Seventy-two years ago today, on May 14, 1948, President Harry S. Truman made one of the most momentous decisions of his presidency: recognizing the new state of Israel just minutes after its founding. Weeks later, Israel’s grateful president, Chaim Weizmann, presented a gift of appreciation to Truman during a visit to the White House.
Truman in the News | May 11, 2020
The nation has once again turned its attention to the 33rd president as we observe the 75th anniversary of Harry Truman’s presidency. The following is just a sampling of some of the recent media highlights focused on our favorite president:
WWII 75: Marching to Victory | May 7, 2020
WWII highlights from the Truman Library’s archives and collections
Marching to Victory: Germany Surrenders!
May 7, 1945
Today marks the 75th anniversary of the surrender of Nazi Germany.
