On what date did U.S. President Harry Truman publicly announce Japan’s surrender in 1945?

U.S. President Harry Truman publicly announced Japan’s surrender on August 14, 1945. His nationwide broadcast reported that Japan had accepted the Allied terms and that a formal signing ceremony would follow.

The announcement occurred on August 14 in U.S. time zones, while Japan’s radio announcement by Emperor Hirohito was heard on August 15 in Japan. This time-zone difference explains why some accounts give August 14 and others give August 15 for the surrender announcement.

Truman also clarified that the official V-J Day designation would wait until Japan signed the surrender terms. The formal ceremony took place on September 2, 1945, aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. Thus, the announcement, the emperor’s broadcast, and the legal surrender were separate but closely connected events.