On what date was Japan's formal surrender signed, marking V-J Day in the United States?

Japan's formal surrender was signed on September 2, 1945, marking V-J Day in the United States.

The ceremony took place after Japan had announced its acceptance of the Allied surrender terms on August 15. The later signing transformed the announcement into a formal capitulation and is widely treated as the end of World War II.

President Harry S. Truman designated September 2 as the official V-J Day in the United States. In other countries, the commemoration has used different dates, partly because the surrender announcement was broadcast on August 15 in Japan and August 14 in much of the Americas because of time zones.

The date is sometimes confused with August 15, which marks Emperor Hirohito's radio announcement to the Japanese people. The two dates refer to different stages: public announcement first, legal signing second.