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.

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Harry S. Truman passed away on this day in 1972. The former president was 88 years old.

The following week, on January 3 and 4, 1973, 47 Congressmen and 70 Senators offered memorial tributes eulogizing the 33^rd President of the United States on the floors of House of Representatives and the Senate, including Senators Robert Dole, Barry Goldwater, Edward Kennedy, George McGovern, Walter Mondale, Stuart Symington, Adlai Stevenson and Strom Thurmond. Republicans and Democrats alike joined together to praise Truman, his decisiveness, his humility and, above all, his service to the American people. Read More

Presidents Speak Out on Harry S. Truman

Happy birthday, Harry! President Truman was born on this day 133 years ago. In honor of Truman’s birthday, we compiled quotes from other presidents on Truman’s impact. 
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Statement by the President Upon Signing the Marshall Plan

On April 3, 1948, Truman signed the Foreign Assistance Act, which provided an initial grant of $4 billion to Western Europe. By the time the program came to an end nearly four years later, more than $12 billion in foreign aid had been expended. Although the Marshall Plan had its flaws, including rampant inflation in some areas, it provided some much-needed stability and stimulation for the economies of Western Europe. British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin described the Marshall Plan as “a lifeline to sinking men.” Truman issued the following statement after signing the landmark legislation:
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Proclamation 2824—National Freedom Day

February 1st is National Freedom Day, a time to celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s signing of the resolution that became known as the 13th Amendment. Truman built on Lincoln’s civil rights efforts, commissioning the Committee on Civil Rights, being the first president to address the NAACP, calling for civil rights legislation, desegregating the U.S. Armed Forces and U.S. federal hiring, hosting the first openly integrated inaugural gala, and issuing the following proclamation honoring national freedom day in 1949. 
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From the Desk of Harry S. Truman: Presidential Debate Advice

Fifty-six years ago today, Democratic Presidential nominee John F. Kennedy debated then-Vice President and Republican nominee Richard M. Nixon in the first-ever televised debate. More than 65 million people viewed the debate. Harry and Bess Truman were two of those viewers. Two days later, President Truman sent a telegram to Senator Kennedy with a single piece of advice for future debates. What did the former president write to the future president?

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Presidential Proclamation 2976: “Olympic Week”

May 16, 1952

Whereas, by a joint resolution approved this day, the congress has noted that “the XVth Olympic Games of the modern era will be held at Helsinki, Finland, from July 19 through August 3, 1952” and that “experiences afforded by the Olympic Games make a unique contribution to common understanding and mutual respect among all peoples”; and

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In 1948, nearly everyone – The New York Times, LIFE Magazine and even Bess Truman – believed Harry Truman would lose the 1948 presidential election. But 68 years ago, the Democratic National Committee understood the power of branding through personal storytelling. We found the proof in the digital archives of the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum and this 1948 graphic biography of Truman’s life, published by the DNC:

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY: June 6, 1944

President Roosevelt’s D-Day Prayer

In a national radio broadcast on June 6, 1944, as 160,000 Allied troops land in Normandy in an attempt to liberate France, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asks “my fellow Americans” to join him in this prayer:

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On April 11, 1951, President Truman relieved the man he once referred to as “Mr. Prima Donna, Brass Hat, Five Star MacArthur” of his commands.

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