According to the United States, what date was officially designated V-J Day in 1945?

The United States officially designated September 2, 1945, as V-J Day.

The date marked the formal signing of Japan’s surrender document aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. President Harry S. Truman identified the day as the official American observance, although news of Japan’s acceptance had reached the United States weeks earlier.

The term can be confusing because different countries and time zones used different dates. Japan announced the surrender to its people on August 15, while the announcement was heard in the United States on August 14 because of the time difference. The United Kingdom traditionally observes August 15, whereas the United States commonly uses September 2.

September 2 was more than an announcement date: it was the day Japanese representatives signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender. The ceremony formally ended the hostilities of World War II, though some fighting and isolated resistance continued afterward in parts of Asia and the Pacific.