On what date did the formal Japanese surrender ceremony aboard USS Missouri take place?

The formal Japanese surrender ceremony aboard USS Missouri took place on September 2, 1945.

The ceremony occurred in Tokyo Bay, nearly three weeks after Emperor Hirohito’s recorded announcement that Japan had accepted the Potsdam Declaration. Japanese representatives signed the surrender instrument before Allied commanders and representatives from several Allied nations.

The distinction between August 15 and September 2 often causes confusion. August 15 was the date the emperor’s radio address was broadcast in Japan, while September 2 was the date of the formal signing. President Harry S. Truman designated September 2 as the official V-J Day in the United States.

The signing marked the end of organized hostilities in World War II, although Japan’s legal state of war with many Allied countries continued until the 1952 Treaty of San Francisco took effect.