1 9 1 9 ▁in ▁Britain . ▁▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 9 , ▁standards ▁were ▁passed ▁requiring ▁certain ▁fire - s af ety ▁improvements ▁in ▁schools . ▁However , ▁older ▁schools , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Our ▁Lady ▁of ▁the ▁Ang els ▁School ▁in ▁Illinois , ▁were ▁not ▁required ▁to ▁be ▁retro f itted ▁to ▁meet ▁the ▁requirements , ▁leading ▁to ▁the ▁dead ly ▁Our ▁Lady ▁of ▁the ▁Ang els ▁School ▁fire ▁in ▁which ▁ 9 2 ▁students ▁and ▁ 3 ▁teachers ▁died . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 1 , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁rat ified ▁the ▁Tw enty - second ▁Am end ment ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Constitution , ▁prevent ing ▁pres idents ▁from ▁running ▁for ▁more ▁than ▁two ▁full ▁terms ▁( or ▁one ▁full ▁term , ▁if ▁they ▁had ▁served ▁more ▁than ▁two ▁years ▁of ▁another ▁person ' s ▁term ). ▁The ▁text ▁of ▁the ▁am end ment ▁specifically ▁ex cluded ▁the ▁sitting ▁president ▁from ▁its ▁prov isions , ▁thus ▁making ▁Harry ▁Tr uman ▁el ig ible ▁to ▁run ▁for ▁president ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 2 — and , ▁theoret ically , ▁for ▁every ▁subsequent ▁president ial ▁election ▁there after — even ▁though ▁he ▁had ▁served ▁a ▁full ▁term ▁and ▁almost ▁four ▁years ▁of ▁a ▁previous ▁president ' s ▁term . ▁Tr uman ▁was ▁highly ▁un pop ular ▁and ▁lost ▁the ▁New ▁Ham pshire ▁primary ▁by ▁nearly ▁ 5 5 % ▁to ▁ 4 4 %. ▁E igh teen ▁days ▁later ▁the ▁president ▁announced ▁he ▁would ▁not ▁seek