The United States commonly called Japan's victory day announcement V-J Day, short for Victory over Japan Day.
President Harry Truman announced Japan's surrender to Americans on August 14, 1945, Washington time. Because it was already August 15 in Japan, different countries and regions have historically used different dates for V-J Day.
The term can refer either to the August announcement or to the September 2 signing, depending on the source and national tradition. In the United States, August 14 became the main date for public celebrations, while September 2 marked the formal signing.
V-E Day refers instead to Germany's surrender in Europe in May 1945. Australia also commonly used V-P Day, meaning Victory in the Pacific, for the end of the Pacific war.