ABSTRACT
Harry S. Truman oversaw the transformation of the United States into a global superpower and the country's presidency into the most important public office in the world. After graduating from high school, he took a number of office jobs and joined the National Guard. When the United States entered World War I in 1917, Truman joined the army. Truman began to participate in Democratic Party politics in Missouri, where he was elected county judge. In 1934, Truman was elected to the US Senate, and served as chairman of the committee to investigate the national defense program after the United States entered World War II. Truman served only 83 days as vice-president. Roosevelt's died on April 12,1945, and Truman was sworn in as president. His first major decision was to order the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, to end the war in the Pacific theater.
