On what date was Japan's formal surrender signed aboard USS Missouri, ending World War II?

Japan's formal surrender was signed on September 2, 1945, aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.

The ceremony finalized Japan's capitulation and is generally treated as the formal end of World War II. Japanese representatives signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, accepting the terms set by the Allied powers.

This date is sometimes confused with August 15, when Emperor Hirohito's surrender announcement was broadcast to Japan, or August 14 in some time zones, when the announcement was recorded. The September ceremony was the legal and public signing that ended hostilities.

The event took place shortly after 9 a.m. Japan Standard Time and lasted about 23 minutes. The instrument took effect at 9:25 a.m. Allied representatives from the United States, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand signed after the Japanese delegation.