Born on this day in the small town of Lamar, Missouri, "Give 'Em Hell Harry" S Truman (1884-1972) was the 33rd President of the United States. Tough and tenacious, he had a passion for books and played the piano.

"The only thing new in the world is the history you don't know," said the man who Time magazine once called "the mousy little man from Missouri." Truman took over the Presidency upon FDR's death, near the end of World War II.

"All my life, whenever it comes time to make a decision, I make it and forget about it," said Truman, who made the difficult decision to drop two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. "A President cannot always be popular," he said about the action that brought about Japan's surrender

Known for his candor and decisive judgment, Truman designed the Marshall Plan for rebuilding war-torn Europe, helped formed NATO, and boldly relieved the insubordinate General Douglas MacArthur from duty.

"It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit," Truman once said.

"I come to the office each morning and stay for long hours doing what has to be done to the best of my ability. And when you've done the best you can, you can't do any better. So when I go to sleep I turn everything over to the Lord and forget it."

More TRUMAN Quotations

Live your priorities.