Which Allied commander signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender first on behalf of the Allies?

Douglas MacArthur signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender first on behalf of the Allies.

MacArthur was the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers and presided over the surrender ceremony aboard USS Missouri on September 2, 1945. After the two Japanese representatives signed, MacArthur signed the document for the Allied powers.

Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz signed next as the United States representative. Representatives from China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand followed. The sequence reflected MacArthur’s role as the senior Allied commander overseeing the ceremony.

MacArthur’s signature is sometimes confused with Nimitz’s because both were prominent American commanders in the Pacific. MacArthur led Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific Area, while Nimitz commanded the U.S. Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas. The surrender ceremony lasted about 23 minutes.