Legacy Letter – Civil Rights Committee | January 17, 2022
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
American history is full of improbable coincidences. For instance, on July 4, 1826, America celebrated 50 years of independence and saw two founding fathers draw their final breaths – Thomas Jefferson and John Adams.
Last year, in a letter to you, we shared another. February 12, 2021 was not only the 212th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth but also the 75th anniversary of the blinding of Isaac Woodard, a brutal event that, arguably, helped usher in the greatest civil rights progress in this nation since the Emancipation Proclamation. Read More
The Forgotten War: Korea 1950 | January 7, 2022
Harry S. Truman Library and Museum Unveils a Photo Retrospective of the Korean War
A new exhibition at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum offers a poignant look at the first few months of the Korean War through the lens of Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Max Desfor. The Forgotten War: Korea 1950 features 36 stunning photographs of the frantic early months of the war from September to December 1950, when the fate of the Korean peninsula was in question. Read More
Historic Speeches | January 5, 2022
Annual Message to the Congress on the State of the Union
President Harry S. Truman – January 6, 1947
Veterans Day | November 11, 2021
Veterans Day Values
Lessons from Harry S. Truman in 3 Objects
We can learn a lot from the artifacts of a life well-lived. This Veterans Day, we turned to the Truman Library’s collection and President Truman’s personal possessions to learn what Harry Truman can teach us about service, sacrifice and honor.
75 IN 5, Episode 1 | November 8, 2021
75 Years On | 5 Minutes At A Time
To honor the 75th anniversary of Harry S. Truman’s world-defining presidency, the Truman Library Institute has launched 75 IN 5 – five-minute video podcasts highlighting the important moments and significant developments that led to some of President Truman’s biggest decisions.
Remembering General Colin Powell | October 19, 2021
Hear Colin Powell speak about the impact President Truman had on his life
The Truman Library Institute joins America and the world in mourning the loss of a towering public servant and patriot, Colin Powell.
An American politician, diplomat, statesman, four-star general, and our country’s first Black secretary of state, Powell died yesterday at the age of 84.
75th Anniversary – The Nuremberg Trials | October 1, 2021
The Nuremberg Trials
This week marks the 75th anniversary of the conclusion of one of the most significant events in history.
From November 20, 1945 to October 1, 1946, leading members of the Nazi Party had to answer to an international court for conspiracy, war crimes, and crimes against peace and humanity. Known today as the Nuremberg Trials, this “alternative justice” set a remarkable precedent for trying war crimes and had a lasting effect on international criminal law. Read More
This Day In History – September 2, 1945 | September 2, 2021
PICTURE HISTORY
THE SURRENDER OF JAPAN | SEPTEMBER 2, 1945
“We hereby proclaim the unconditional surrender to the Allied Powers of the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters and of all Japanese armed forces and all armed forces under Japanese control wherever situated.”
Historic Headlines | August 13, 2021
V-J DAY | AUGUST 14, 1945
“I HAVE RECEIVED THIS AFTERNOON A MESSAGE FROM THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT…”
At 7 p.m. on Tuesday, August 14, 1945, President Truman announced to reporters gathered in the Oval Office that Japan had surrendered unconditionally to the Allies, effectively ending World War II. Read More
TRU History | August 6, 2021
Surplus WWII-Era Purple Hearts Still Being Awarded
A half-million medals are a reminder of the lives not lost in the Pacific Theater during World War II.
By D. M. Giangreco
Excerpted from “75 Years Later, Purple Hearts Made for An Invasion of Japan are Still Being Awarded,” originally published by George Washington University’s History News Network.
