WWII 80: The Battle of the Bulge | January 25, 2025
WWII 80: Highlights from the Truman Library
The Battle of the Bulge
Thursday, January 25, 1945
How did the Allied forces win the bloodiest American battle of the deadliest war in human history?
On December 16, 1944, at the beginning of a historically frigid winter, the Germans launched what would be their final major offensive of World War II. Over the course of six weeks, Allied forces thwarted the German armies’ attempts to split them. The Battle of the Bulge was the bloodiest battle for American forces on the Western Front during WWII – 20,000 Americans were killed in this battle; tens of thousands more were wounded, missing, or captured. Despite these great losses, the Battle of the Bulge ended with an Allied victory 80 years ago today.
The Liberation of Dachau | April 29, 2024
The Liberation of Dachau
April 29, 1945
In April 1945, as the European war neared its end, one question loomed large: how would the Allies ensure that justice was served to the perpetrators of Dachau and other Nazi crimes against humanity?
Creation of NATO | March 18, 2024
Address on the Occasion of the Signing of the North Atlantic Treaty: April 4, 1949
On April 4, 1949, the U.S. entered into its first peacetime military alliance, the North Atlantic Treaty. After Secretary of State Dean Acheson signed the treaty, President Truman addressed the crowd. “In this pact, we hope to create a shield against aggression and the fear of aggression–a bulwark which will permit us to get on with the real business of government and society, the business of achieving a fuller and happier life for all our citizens.”
Read on for more from President Truman’s address after the North Atlantic Treaty was signed. For the accompanying historic sound recording, click here.
Wild About Harry Raises More than $1 Million for President Truman’s “Classroom for Democracy” | April 21, 2023
Pictured: Executive Director Alex Burden, Event Chairs Leigh and Tyler Nottberg, Honorary Chairs Ursula Terrasi and Jim Miller
The 24th annual benefit for Harry S. Truman’s presidential library and legacy made history as it smashed all former attendance and fundraising records. In an effort that rivaled the enthusiasm, passion and energy of Truman’s 1948 Whistle Stop Campaign, WILD ABOUT HARRY raised more than $1 MILLION for civics and history programs at the Truman Library. The April 20 event at Kansas City’s historic Muehlebach Hotel – President Truman’s hometown political HQ – attracted nearly 1,000 attendees, as well as the single largest gift in the event’s history, generously donated by 2023 WILD ABOUT HARRY title sponsor, CPKC.
If you have not yet made a gift in support of this important cause, it’s not too late to add your name to the donor honor roll, which will be published in the next issue of TRU Magazine.
Black History Month in the Museum Store | February 28, 2023
BECAUSE A MONTH JUST ISN’T ENOUGH
February 2023 is both Black History Month and National Library Lovers Month!
Stop by the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum to pick up these must-have and award-winning histories, as well as unique gifts, presidential apparel and more. Open during Museum hours, there is no admission charge to browse the beautiful Buck Stops Here Shop. Members save 10% on all purchases; to receive your member discount for online purchases, please order by phone at 816.268.8267.
This Day In History | February 22, 2022
#OTD February 22, 1946 | The Long Telegram
76 years ago, George Kennan, an American diplomat living in Moscow, sent an 8,000-word telegram to President Truman’s State Department. Today, “The Long Telegram” is regarded as a foundational U.S. document, right up there with the Declaration of Independence, The Federalist Papers and George Washington’s Farewell Address. As a sign of its enduring significance, the telegram’s 75th anniversary appears on top-ten lists of historic moments to note in 2021. 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
WWII 80: The Formal Surrender of Japan | September 2, 2020
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
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.
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.
