President Harry S. Truman was born in the small town of Lamar, Missouri, on May 8, 1884 to a farmer and cattle dealer father, John Anderson Truman and Martha Ellen Young Truman. Truman was named after his maternal grandfather, Harrison Young. He was given a middle initial but not an actual middle name; it's just the "S" that was meant to please his two grandfathers and refers to their names, Anderson Shipp Truman and Soloman Young. Truman had two brothers, John Vivian and Mary Jane. Shortly after Harry's birth, his parents moved the family to a farm near Harrisonville, and when he was 6 years old they moved to Independence, Missouri, where he attended the Presbyterian Church Sunday School. As a child, Truman was very interested in music, reading and history. He and his mother were very close and she encouraged all his interests, including the piano. He woke up every 5 o'clock and practiced playing, and even studied it twice a week until he was 15. As a result he became a very skilled pianist and even considered becoming a concert pianist. Although he excelled in his studies, it was difficult for him to make friends and he was very uncomfortable around girls. Also because of his glasses, which he wore because of his extremely poor eyesight and which later in his life would cause him to refuse an appointment to the United States Military Academy, which was his dream, it was difficult for Truman to become close to his peers. After graduating from high school in 1901, Truman was unable to attend college due to his family's financial situation, and after working in a post office, for a construction company, and as a bank clerk, Truman quit his job and went to work for the family. farm in Grandview, Missouri with his father and... half the newspaper... about President Truman. First, the inauguration of Truman's second term was the first to be televised! Additionally, two pro-independent Puerto Rican activists, Griselio Torresola and Oscar Collazo attempted to assassinate the president on November 1, 1950. And finally, there is a balcony in the White House named after Truman. The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum is located in Independent, Missouri. Works Cited • Hamby, A. (n.d.). The American president is a reference resource. Retrieved from http://millercenter.org/president/truman/essays/biography/2• Biographical sketch harry s. truman, 33rd president of the united states. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.trumanlibrary.org/hst-bio.htm• Michael Beschloss, HS (Artist) (n.d.). Harry s. truman [audio podcast]. Retrieved from http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/harrystruman