Truman Day

Last updated
Truman Day
Harry-truman.jpg
Harry S. Truman
Observed by United States, Missouri
TypeSecular
SignificanceBirthday of the only U.S. president to come from Missouri
DateMay 8
Next timeMay 8, 2026 (2026-05-08)
Frequencyannual

Truman Day is a commemorative holiday to celebrate the birth of Harry S. Truman, the 33rd President of the United States. It is celebrated on May 8 in Missouri as a state holiday [1] and nationally by the United States Democratic Party. [2] Truman is the only U.S. President to come from Missouri, hence the significance to the state. [3] [4] For Missouri state employees, this is a paid holiday. [5]

Contents

Origins

Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884 –December 26, 1972) was the 33rd President of the United States (1945–1953), an American politician of the Democratic Party. He served as a United States senator from Missouri (1935–1945) and briefly as Vice President (1945) before he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt. He was president during the final months of World War II, making the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Truman was unexpectedly elected in his own right in 1948. He presided over an uncertain domestic scene as America sought its path after the war, and tensions with the Soviet Union increased, marking the start of the Cold War.

Post-presidency, Truman was a popular figure in Missouri, with Truman Day rallies having been held in Poplar Bluff, Missouri since at least 1966. [6] However, May 8 was not officially designated a state holiday until June 1967 with the passage of House Bill 154. [7] [8] Governor Warren E. Hearnes celebrated the first Truman Day by unveiling a statue of Truman at Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Missouri in 1968. [9]

In 2010, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon proposed abolishing the holiday in an effort to reduce the state's budget; [10] however, the effort was unsuccessful. [11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Section 9-035 May 8, Truman Day". Moga.mo.gov. 2009-08-28. Archived from the original on 2014-04-22. Retrieved 2010-05-13.
  2. ↑ "Holidays: Truman Day in United States". Timeanddate.com. Retrieved 2010-05-13.
  3. ↑ Levitt, Aimee (2010-05-04). "Will the Buck Stop Here For Truman Day? - St. Louis News - Daily RFT". Blogs.riverfronttimes.com. Retrieved 2010-05-13.
  4. ↑ "Headlines: Truman Day, May 7". Fired Up! Missouri. 2010-05-07. Archived from the original on June 13, 2011. Retrieved 2010-05-13.
  5. ↑ Messenger, Tony. "State employees still get Truman Day off — this year at least | Political Fix | STLtoday". Interact.stltoday.com. Retrieved 2010-05-13.
  6. ↑ "'Truman Day' Rally Planned Saturday". Jefferson City Post-Tribune. September 22, 1966. p. 12. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  7. ↑ "Missouri Session Laws". mdh.contentdm.oclc.org. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  8. ↑ "9.035". revisor.mo.gov. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  9. ↑ "Governor Warren E. Hearnes at Unveiling of Statue of Former President Harry S. Truman | Harry S. Truman". www.trumanlibrary.gov. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  10. ↑ "Nixon proposes eliminating Truman Day, 2 other state holidays". STLPR. 2010-03-12. Retrieved 2024-05-08.
  11. ↑ Volkmann, Kelsey (2010-05-03). "Truman Day stays as Missouri state holiday this year - St. Louis Business Journal". Bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2010-05-13.
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