U.S. President Harry Truman announced Japan’s surrender in a nationwide broadcast on August 14, 1945.
Truman’s announcement followed Japan’s communication that it accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration. The broadcast aired in the United States on the evening of August 14, using American local time. Truman also made clear that the formal proclamation of V-J Day would wait until Japan signed the surrender documents.
The date can be confusing because August 15 was already August 15 in Japan when Emperor Hirohito’s surrender message was broadcast there. In addition, the formal surrender ceremony did not occur until September 2, 1945, aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
August 14 is therefore the date associated with Truman’s American announcement, while August 15 is commonly associated with the emperor’s broadcast and September 2 with the legal signing that ended the war.