President Harry Truman gave September 2, 1945, the title V-J Day in the United States.
The abbreviation means “Victory over Japan.” Truman used the designation in connection with the formal signing of Japan’s surrender aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. The ceremony marked the official end of World War II hostilities with Japan.
The term is sometimes used for August 14 or August 15, when Japan’s surrender announcement was transmitted and Emperor Hirohito’s broadcast was heard. This difference reflects both the distinction between announcement and formal signing and the effects of international time zones.
The name was modeled on V-E Day, or Victory in Europe Day, which marked Germany’s surrender in May 1945. Australia commonly used “V-P Day,” meaning Victory in the Pacific, for the end of the Pacific War.