In the United States, V-J Day for Japan’s surrender announcement was observed on August 14, 1945.
President Harry Truman announced Japan’s acceptance of the Allied surrender terms from Washington, D.C., on the evening of August 14. Because of the international date line and time differences, many countries mark the announcement on August 15 instead.
This date should not be confused with September 2, 1945, when Japanese representatives formally signed the Instrument of Surrender aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. August 14 is especially associated with celebrations in the United States, while August 15 is commonly called V-J Day in Japan and several other countries.
The announcement followed Japan’s decision to accept the Potsdam Declaration, after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet Union’s entry into the war against Japan. The formal legal surrender ceremony came weeks later.