80th Anniversary of the Nuremberg Trials

NOVEMBER 1945

HISTORY RETURNS TO THE BIG SCREEN with Nuremberg, the powerful new film starring Russell Crowe. The story it tells—of justice, truth and accountability—was shaped in real life by President Harry S. Truman and the landmark trials that followed World War II.

Whether you’ve already seen Nuremberg and want to explore the events behind it, or you’re planning your movie night and want a spoiler-free primer, this edition of our digital history series has you covered.

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THIS DAY IN HISTORY

CORNERSTONE LAYING OF THE UNITED NATIONS BUILDING

New York, New York
October 24, 1949

“THE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD ARE OF ONE MIND IN THEIR DETERMINATION TO SOLVE THEIR PROBLEMS BY WORKING TOGETHER.”

ON THIS DAY in 1949, President Harry S. Truman headlined the cornerstone-laying ceremony for the United Nations Headquarters.

“The United Nations is essentially an expression of the moral nature of man’s aspirations. The Charter clearly shows our determination that international problems must be settled on a basis acceptable to the conscience of mankind.” Read More

WWII 80: Highlights from the Truman Library

Prisoners of War
September 4, 1945

To Private Luther D. Bass and the hundreds of other Allied survivors of Tokyo POW Camp #8B, time must have seemed like it slowed to a crawl in early September 1945. Bass and many of his fellow prisoners of war had been captives of the Japanese for over three years, suffering hunger and forced labor. Now the war was over and they had been evacuated to the town of Onahoma to await liberation. Yet it would take several days for American forces to reach Onahoma. How had Bass survived his captivity, and how would he and his fellow POWs endure their anxious wait for liberation? Read More

WWII 80: Highlights from the Truman Library

The Formal Surrender of Japan
September 2, 1945

It is Sunday, September 2, 1945. Some 280 Allied warships and thousands of troops are staged in Tokyo Bay. On the deck of one vessel, the battleship USS Missouri, General Douglas MacArthur and 50 other Allied leaders are assembled. It is not a battle they have prepared for, however, but a brief ceremony. The men aboard the Missouri are about to witness Japan’s formal surrender. Read More

WWII 80: Highlights from the Truman Library

Japan Surrenders – President Truman’s News Conference
August 14, 1945

THE PRESIDENT [reading]: I have received this afternoon a message from the Japanese Government–
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WWII 80: Highlights from the Truman Library

Japan Surrenders
August 14, 1945

As Emperor Hirohito and his cabinet accepted the surrender terms on August 14, officials on both sides knew Japanese commanders and soldiers would find it a bitter pill to swallow. How could Japan’s proud troops be convinced to lay down their arms and finally end the bloodshed of World War II?

Davidson Sommers’ oral history in the archives of the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum reveals how American and Japanese leaders worked out a last-minute plan to achieve peace.

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WWII 80: Highlights from the Truman Library

The Bombing of Nagasaki
August 9, 1945

Visitors to the Harry S. Truman Library and Museum can view a unique artifact that speaks to the revolutionary power and danger of the weapon that destroyed Nagasaki and helped end World War II.
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WWII 80: Highlights from the Truman Library

The Bombing of Hiroshima
August 6, 1945

At 8:15 AM on August 6, 1945, an American B-29 bomber opened its bay doors over the Japanese city of Hiroshima and released a solitary bomb. Forty-four seconds later, it exploded 1,900 feet above the city. This single explosion brought the Second World War into its final phase and revealed to the world a new and devastating weapon.
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THIS DAY IN HISTORY

President Harry S. Truman Attends the Signing of the Medicare and Medicaid Act of 1965

July 30, 1965

“THE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD ARE OF ONE MIND IN THEIR DETERMINATION TO SOLVE THEIR PROBLEMS BY WORKING TOGETHER.”

TODAY marks the 60th anniversary of the signing of Medicare and Medicaid—a key milestone in American life and public health. President Johnson signed this critical legislation at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library in Independence, Missouri, with President and Mrs. Truman at his side. It was a nod to Truman’s tireless advocacy to improve the health of all Americans. Although unsuccessful during his presidency, Truman created the blueprint for the passage of the Medicare & Medicaid Act of 1965. Read More

WWII 80: Highlights from the Truman Library

The Potsdam Declaration
July 26, 1945

By July 1945, Japan was defeated nearly everywhere except in the hearts and minds of the Japanese. Even as the Japanese Empire crumbled and the suffering Japanese prepared for invasion, military leaders reminded their people that national honor prohibited surrender to the Allies.
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