What date is generally called V-J Day, marking Japan’s announced surrender in World War II?

V-J Day is generally dated August 15, 1945, when Japan announced its surrender in World War II.

Emperor Hirohito’s recorded message was broadcast to the Japanese public at noon Japan Standard Time. It announced that Japan had accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration, although the formal surrender document had not yet been signed.

The date can cause confusion because the announcement occurred on August 15 in Japan and much of Asia, while it was still August 14 in parts of the Americas. The United States announced its observance of V-J Day after receiving Japan’s surrender communication, but President Harry Truman emphasized that the final proclamation depended on the formal signing.

The legal and ceremonial end of the war came later, on September 2, 1945, aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. Thus, August 15 refers to the public announcement, while September 2 refers to the formal signing and ceremony.