38 moments

1. Infancy near Harrisonville

   1884-01-01 · Harrisonville, Missouri, United States

   

   As an infant, Truman moved with his family from Lamar to a farm near Harrisonville. The source establishes the move when Truman was ten months old but does not provide a month or day.

2. Birth in Lamar

   1884-05-08 · Lamar, Missouri, United States

   

   Truman was born in Lamar, Missouri.

3. Childhood at the Grandview farm

   1887-01-01 · Grandview, Missouri, United States

   

   Truman lived on his grandparents’ farm after his family moved to Grandview. Settlement coordinates represent the documented Grandview farm area.

4. Move to Independence

   1890-01-01 · Independence, Missouri, United States

   

   Truman moved with his parents to Independence, where he grew up and attended school. The year is derived from Truman’s age six after his May 1884 birth; the source does not provide a more precise date.

5. Business studies in Kansas City

   1901-01-01 · Kansas City, Missouri, United States

   

   After high school, Truman attended Spalding’s Commercial College in Kansas City for about a year. City-center coordinates represent the school’s Kansas City location.

6. Missouri National Guard service

   1905-01-01 · Kansas City, Missouri, United States

   

   Truman enlisted in a Kansas City-based Missouri National Guard artillery battery. City coordinates represent the Kansas City-based unit; a precise armory location is not specified.

7. Return to the Grandview farm

   1906-01-01 · Grandview, Missouri, United States

   

   Truman returned to farming at Grandview, where he remained until entering active military service in 1917. Settlement coordinates represent the documented farm area.

8. Artillery training at Camp Doniphan

   1917-01-01 · Camp Doniphan, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, United States

   

   Before deployment to France in World War I, Truman trained with the federalized 129th Field Artillery at Camp Doniphan, Fort Sill.

9. Meuse–Argonne observation post

   1918-09-26 · West of Cheppy, Meuse, France

   

   Captain Truman’s battery moved into the Meuse–Argonne offensive and established an observation post west of Cheppy. Coordinates are a representative point west of Cheppy because the observation post’s exact location is not specified.

10. Marriage to Bess Wallace

    1919-06-28 · Trinity Episcopal Church, Independence, Missouri, United States

    

    Truman married Bess Wallace at Trinity Episcopal Church in Independence following his return from World War I.

11. Truman and Jacobson Haberdashery

    1919-11-28 · 104 West 12th Street, Kansas City, Missouri, United States

    

    Truman and Edward Jacobson opened their Kansas City clothing store, a business that later failed but remained important to their friendship. Coordinates identify the documented store address.

12. County Court judge begins service

    1923-01-01 · Jackson County, Missouri, United States

    

    Truman began his first term as a Jackson County Court judge for the county’s eastern district. The source identifies his county office but not a particular worksite; coordinates represent Independence in Jackson County’s eastern district.

13. Presiding judge of Jackson County

    1927-01-01 · Jackson County Courthouse, Kansas City, Missouri, United States

    

    Truman began service as presiding judge of Jackson County, an administrative county-court office. Coordinates represent the Jackson County courthouse area; the source establishes officeholding rather than a specific appearance on this day.

14. Washington home during Senate years

    1935-01-01 · Washington, District of Columbia, United States

    

    The Truman family made Washington their home during Truman’s Senate and presidential years. City coordinates represent the documented home city; the source does not identify one continuous residential address for the entire period.

15. Visit to his mother after vice-presidential nomination

    1944-07-01 · Grandview, Missouri, United States

    

    After becoming the Democratic nominee for vice president, Truman visited his mother in Grandview. The source provides month but not day.

16. Sworn in as president

    1945-04-12 · Cabinet Room, White House, Washington, District of Columbia, United States

    

    Following Franklin D. Roosevelt’s death, Truman took the presidential oath in the White House Cabinet Room.

17. United Nations Charter Conference address

    1945-06-26 · War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, California, United States

    

    Truman addressed the closing session of the United Nations Charter Conference in San Francisco. The conference’s closing session was held at the War Memorial Opera House.

18. Disembarkation en route to Potsdam

    1945-07-15 · Antwerp, Belgium

    

    Truman disembarked in Belgium while traveling to the Potsdam Conference. The State Department itinerary lists both Antwerp and Brussels; coordinates represent Antwerp, the principal disembarkation port.

19. Potsdam Conference

    1945-07-16 · Potsdam, Germany

    

    Truman attended the Potsdam Conference with Soviet and British leaders to address postwar Germany. Coordinates represent Cecilienhof Palace, the principal Potsdam Conference venue.

20. Meeting with King George VI

    1945-08-02 · Plymouth, England, United Kingdom

    

    On the return journey from Potsdam, Truman met King George VI in Plymouth.

21. Bermuda inspection visit

    1946-08-01 · Bermuda

    

    Truman made an informal Bermuda visit, met the governor, and inspected United States military facilities. The source supports a date range; month precision is used. Coordinates represent Hamilton, Bermuda.

22. State visit to Mexico

    1947-03-01 · Mexico City, Mexico

    

    Truman made a state visit to Mexico City and met President Miguel Alemán. The source supports a date range; month precision is used. The itinerary’s surname spelling is retained verbatim in the quote.

23. Official visit to Canada

    1947-06-01 · Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

    

    Truman visited Ottawa officially and met Governor General Harold Alexander and Prime Minister Mackenzie King. The source supports a date range; month precision is used.

24. Rio Conference state visit

    1947-09-01 · Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    

    Truman visited Rio de Janeiro, addressed the inter-American peace-and-security conference, and addressed Brazil’s Congress. The source supports a date range; month precision is used. The itinerary’s spelling is retained verbatim in the quote.

25. Idlewild Airport dedication

    1948-07-31 · Idlewild Airport, Queens, New York City, New York, United States

    

    Truman appeared with Republican nominee Thomas E. Dewey at the dedication of Idlewild Airport. Idlewild Airport is now John F. Kennedy International Airport.

26. 1948 campaign speech in Oklahoma City

    1948-09-28 · Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States

    

    During his whistle-stop campaign, Truman traveled from his train to an Oklahoma City ballpark for a major radio speech. The oral-history passage concerns the September 1948 campaign trip; city-center coordinates are used because it does not name the ballpark.

27. Lincoln Tomb wreath during campaign

    1948-10-12 · Lincoln Tomb, Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, Illinois, United States

    

    Truman visited Lincoln’s Tomb in Springfield during his 1948 campaign, placed a wreath, and attended a Democratic rally. The surrounding itinerary places this event on October 12, 1948.

28. St. Paul campaign address

    1948-10-13 · St. Paul, Minnesota, United States

    

    Truman arrived in St. Paul and spoke to a capacity crowd during the 1948 campaign. The surrounding itinerary identifies Wednesday, October 13, 1948; city-center coordinates are used because the auditorium is unnamed.

29. Pittsburgh torchlight parade and address

    1948-10-23 · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

    

    Truman campaigned in Pittsburgh, joining a torchlight parade before delivering a major address at the Armory. City-center coordinates are used because the cited passage does not identify the hotel or Armory.

30. Chicago Stadium campaign address

    1948-10-25 · Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, United States

    

    Truman campaigned in Chicago with a parade to Chicago Stadium and a nationally broadcast major speech. The surrounding itinerary identifies October 25, 1948. Chicago Stadium was demolished; coordinates identify its former site.

31. Blair House Korean War meeting

    1950-06-26 · Blair House, Washington, District of Columbia, United States

    

    Truman participated in a Blair House meeting with senior civilian and military officials after North Korea’s invasion of South Korea. The source identifies the meeting as a Blair House meeting on June 26, 1950.

32. Wake Island conference with MacArthur

    1950-10-01 · Wake Island, United States Minor Outlying Islands

    

    Truman traveled to Wake Island to confer directly with General Douglas MacArthur during the Korean War. The quoted October 17, 1950 address directly confirms the completed Wake Island visit but does not itself give the conference day; month precision is used.

33. San Francisco address after Wake conference

    1950-10-17 · War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, California, United States

    

    After returning from Wake Island, Truman delivered an address at San Francisco’s War Memorial Opera House. The source title and dateline identify the venue and date.

34. Return to the renovated White House

    1952-03-27 · White House, Washington, District of Columbia, United States

    

    Truman reestablished his residence at the White House after the renovation that had required the family to live at Blair House.

35. Return home after presidency

    1953-01-01 · Independence, Missouri, United States

    After Eisenhower’s inauguration, Truman returned by train to Independence, where a large crowd welcomed the Trumans home. The source supports late-January rather than an exact day.

36. Dedication of the Truman Library

    1957-07-06 · Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum, Independence, Missouri, United States

    

    Truman participated in the dedication of his presidential library in Independence. The archival recording page gives the recording date as July 6, 1957.

37. Visiting lecturer at Yale

    1958-01-01 · Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States

    

    Truman served as a Chubb Fellow visiting lecturer at Yale University. The source supplies year but not a specific lecture date or campus venue.

38. Death in Kansas City

    1972-12-26 · Kansas City, Missouri, United States

    

    Truman died in Kansas City, Missouri, at age 88. City-center coordinates are used because the cited biographical record does not specify the hospital or other exact death site.