According to U.S. usage, what date was officially designated V-J Day in 1945?

In U.S. usage, V-J Day was officially designated September 2, 1945.

The date marked the formal signing of Japan’s surrender aboard the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. Although Japan’s acceptance of surrender terms had been announced weeks earlier, U.S. President Harry S. Truman linked the official observance to the signing ceremony rather than the initial announcement.

This produces two commonly remembered dates. On August 15 in Japan, Emperor Hirohito’s recorded message was broadcast to the public announcing acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration. Because of time-zone differences, the announcement was August 14 in much of the Americas. September 2 was the legal and ceremonial conclusion of the war with Japan.

The United Kingdom traditionally observes August 15 as V-J Day, while Australia often uses the name V-P Day, meaning Victory in the Pacific. The different dates reflect distinct national commemorations rather than contradictory accounts of the surrender.