About two million people gathered in Times Square to celebrate V-J Day in August 1945.
The crowd assembled after news spread that Japan had accepted the Allied surrender terms. The celebration became one of the largest gatherings in Times Square’s history, with people filling the surrounding streets and the Garment District. A news ticker at One Times Square displayed the announcement that President Harry Truman had reported Japan’s surrender.
The celebration was connected to August 14 and 15, depending on the timing of news transmission and local observance. In the United States, the announcement reached the public on August 14, while many other Allied countries marked the occasion on August 15.
The crowd is often discussed alongside the famous photograph of a sailor kissing a woman in Times Square. That image, taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt, captured the spontaneous public mood but did not depict a specifically identified couple. The event marked victory over Japan, not the formal signing that took place weeks later.