What date is the official United States V-J Day commemoration?

The official United States V-J Day commemoration is September 2.

The date commemorates the formal signing of Japan’s surrender instrument aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945. President Harry S. Truman treated the date as the formal V-J Day associated with the signing, while recognizing that the initial announcement had reached audiences earlier.

Different countries use different dates because the surrender unfolded in stages and because time zones affected when the announcement was heard. Japan’s radio announcement was broadcast on August 15 in Japan, while it was August 14 in much of the United States. The United Kingdom officially observes August 15.

Thus, “V-J Day” can mean either the announcement or the formal signing depending on national usage. In the United States, September 2 is the date tied to the legal ceremony that ended the war.