Chester Nimitz signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender for the United States at Japan’s September 2, 1945 surrender ceremony.
Nimitz signed after Douglas MacArthur, who accepted the surrender as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers. Nimitz represented the United States specifically, while MacArthur signed in his command capacity for the Allied nations collectively.
The ceremony took place aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. Nimitz was the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Admiral and Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet during the final phase of the war. His signature followed the two Japanese signatures and MacArthur’s signature.
A common mix-up is confusing Nimitz with Admiral William Halsey, who was present in Tokyo Bay but did not sign the instrument. Other Allied representatives signed for China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.