Harry Truman gloats over history's most famous wrong headline. THE '50s Roosevelt's death in 1945 put Vice President Harry Truman in power. Truman was seen as certain to lose the election of 1948 to Republican Thomas Dewey, but hepulled off a stunning upset. The Republicans' chance came in the '50s, when World War II hero Dwight D. Eisenhower easily defeated Adlai Stevenson, twice. [ PREVIOUS | NEXT ]