Pandit Nehru visiting the USA with his sister and President Truman. Jawaharlal Nehru (14 November 1889 - 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat and author who was a central figure in India during the middle third of the 20th century. Upon India's independence in 1947, he served as the country's prime minister for 17 years. Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884 - December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A lifetime member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin Roosevelt, and as a United States Senator from Missouri from 1935 to January 1945.