Harry Truman, U.S. President
May 8, 1884-Dec. 26, 1972
Lives of the Presidents: Fame, Shame (and What the Neighbors Thought) by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt (Harcourt, 1998)
The sign on Truman’s desk read “The Buck Stops Here.” This piano-playing 33rd president held watermelon spitting wars in the White House.
The Truman Presidential Museum & Library is the source for Truman research.
Robert Leroy Johnson, musician
May 8, 1911-Aug. 16, 1938
The Blues Singers: Ten Who Rocked the World by Julius Lester, illustrated by Lisa Cohen (Jump at the Sun/Hyperion, 2001)
Johnson, a gifted guitar player and singer died young. However, his legacy lives on in the likes of Dylan, the Stones and Clapton.
The Robert Johnson Blues Foundation site features an article from the LA Times about this famous bluesman.
