10 Lesser-Known Facts About Harry S. Truman

Assuming the presidency at the height of World War II, Harry S. Truman (1884-1972) famously remarked that it felt like "the moon, the stars, and all the planets had fallen on me." Despite the overwhelming challenges, the 33rd president successfully guided the United States into a thriving postwar period. Here are some intriguing details about the leader who authorized the use of atomic bombs to conclude one of history's most devastating wars.

1. The S in his name has no specific meaning.

Born on May 8, 1884, in Lamar, Missouri, to John Anderson Truman, a farmer and mule trader, and Martha Ellen Truman, Harry received the middle initial "S" after his parents struggled to agree on a full middle name. The "S" honors both his maternal grandfather, Solomon, and his paternal grandfather's middle name, Shipp. It serves as a compromise and, while it doesn't require a period, it is commonly written with one.

2. Harry S. Truman once ran a men's clothing store that nearly faced financial collapse.

After finishing high school, Truman briefly attended college and worked various odd jobs, including assisting with the family farm. He later joined the National Guard, leaving in 1911, only to rejoin during World War I, where he served in France. After the war, he and his friend Eddie Jacobson launched a haberdashery in Kansas City. However, due to the struggling postwar economy, the business lasted only three years before they had to shut it down in 1922. Truman spent 15 years repaying his debts, refusing to declare bankruptcy despite the financial strain.

Thankfully, Truman's future lay in politics. A wartime friend's uncle, Thomas Pendergast, a prominent Democrat and political leader in Kansas City, encouraged him to run for administrative judge in Jackson County, Missouri. Although he lost reelection, he later won the position of presiding judge, serving two terms before advancing to the U.S. Senate.

3. Truman's tenure as vice president lasted only 82 days.

Truman's reputation for integrity was solidified during his time in the U.S. Senate. He implemented stricter regulations for American shipping companies and scrutinized defense budgets to eliminate waste. His efforts impressed Franklin Delano Roosevelt's campaign team, who were preparing for Roosevelt's fourth presidential term. With concerns about Roosevelt's declining health, selecting a vice president was more critical than ever. Truman took the role, serving just 82 days after his inauguration on January 20, 1945, before Roosevelt's death.

4. He was informed about the atomic bomb shortly after taking office.

Roosevelt largely excluded Truman from the loop regarding strategies to swiftly conclude the war. Moments after his inauguration, Truman was taken aside by Secretary of War Henry Stimson, who revealed a project of unprecedented destructive potential. Stimson warned that the U.S. was nearing completion of the "most devastating weapon in human history." Four months later, Truman authorized the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, decisively ending the war. He expressed little regret, later confiding to his sister that he "made the only decision I knew how to make."

5. Harry S. Truman championed universal health insurance.

Truman foresaw many of today's health care debates. Just seven months into his presidency, he began pushing for improved medical facilities in underserved rural areas and expanded public health services. He proposed a system where Americans would pay monthly fees to ensure coverage during illness. He insisted it wasn't "socialized medicine," as doctors would remain independent. However, the American Medical Association opposed the plan, favoring private insurance. With Democrats losing congressional control, Truman's initiative faltered. He later called the failure to enact national health insurance one of his presidency's greatest disappointments.

6. He nearly doubled the minimum wage during his presidency.

While it may seem modest today, Truman's 1950 initiative to increase the minimum wage was a significant economic shift when adjusted for inflation. As part of his Fair Deal program, Truman boosted the hourly minimum wage from 40 cents to 75 cents, an 87.5 percent rise. Some economists credit this move with reducing unemployment from 6.6 percent in January 1949 to 2.7 percent by December 1952, though others attribute the decline to factors like the Korean War.

7. Two would-be assassins attempted to kill Harry S. Truman near the White House.

On November 1, 1950, Truman narrowly escaped an assassination attempt. Oscar Collazo and Griselio Torresola, members of the Puerto Rican National Party, traveled from the Bronx to Washington, D.C., aiming to assassinate the president to highlight Puerto Rico's fight for independence. Armed and waiting outside Blair House—where Truman and his family were staying during White House renovations—they engaged in a shootout with guards. Torresola was killed, and a guard later died from his injuries. Collazo was wounded, arrested, and initially sentenced to death, but Truman commuted his sentence to life imprisonment. President Carter later commuted Collazo's sentence further, leading to his release in 1979. Truman, napping upstairs during the attack, was warned to stay away from the window.

8. Few believed Truman would secure a second term.

Despite his achievements, Truman was considered a long shot in the 1948 presidential election, with most experts and media outlets forecasting a victory for New York Governor Thomas Dewey. Truman opted to forgo media backing entirely, embarking on a railroad campaign across the nation to connect directly with voters. In Butte, Montana, he was welcomed by a crowd of 40,000, a moment he later credited with boosting his confidence in winning. He secured 303 electoral votes, but due to a printers' strike, the Chicago Tribune printed an early edition with the erroneous headline "Dewey Defeats Truman." Days later, Truman famously posed with the paper, smiling at the mistake in a now-iconic photograph.

9. Truman's grandson played him in a theatrical production.

In a 2017 performance of Give 'Em Hell, Harry!, a play about Truman staged in Wilmington, North Carolina, the lead role was taken by someone with a personal connection—his grandson, Clifton Daniel. A part-time actor and honorary chairman of the Truman Library Institute in Kansas City, Missouri, Daniel mastered Truman's speech patterns by studying old recordings.

10. Truman attempted a discreet cross-country road trip.

Five months after his presidency ended in 1953, Truman and his wife, Bess, decided to embark on a cross-country road trip. At the time, former presidents weren't accompanied by Secret Service or government escorts. However, the couple underestimated their recognizability. They were frequently spotted at roadside diners, surprising locals who were stunned to see the former president in places like Decatur, Illinois, or Frostburg, Maryland. On their 19-day journey, Truman was even stopped for driving 55 mph in the fast lane, though he wasn't issued a ticket.

This article was originally published in 2018; it has been updated for 2022.