President Harry Truman dismisses General Douglas MacArthur, April 11th, 1951
In contravention of direct orders from Truman, MacArthur, commander of American and Korean forces during the Korean War, authorized a strike into China. It was clear MacArthur planned to fight on his own terms, without heed to the authority of the president of the United States. The Joint Chiefs of Staff soon weighed in, favoring the dismissal of MacArthur for insubordination. Truman formally announces that he is relieving MacArthur of his command. This marks the end of Douglas MacArthur’s military career.