Video: 'Truman & the Railroad Strike of 1946 - Part 3' (May 25, 1946)

(Saturday, May 25, 1946, 3:57 p.m. EST; during the Strike wave of 1945–46) — With only three minutes left before the U.S. Army would seize control of the nation’s railroads, the leaders of both striking railway workers’ unions signed a settlement at the White House.

With soldiers in place and a deadline of 4:00 p.m. EST, a verbal agreement was reached at 3:50 and the written pact was signed at 3:57.

Earlier in the day, the U.S. House of Representatives had approved President Harry Truman’s request for emergency legislation that would have allowed striking workers to be drafted into the U.S. armed forces.

Video: 'The Presidents: Truman' (May 25, 1946, at 2:31:51)