The USS Missouri hosted the Japanese Instrument of Surrender ceremony ending World War II in 1945.
The ceremony took place on the battleship’s deck in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945. General Douglas MacArthur presided as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, while representatives of Japan and nine Allied governments signed the surrender document.
Missouri was selected after joining the Allied fleet preparing for the occupation of Japan. The ship entered Tokyo Bay on August 29, and its crew prepared the deck for the historic event. A flag associated with Commodore Matthew Perry’s 1853 expedition to Japan was also displayed.
A common mix-up is confusing the USS Missouri with the USS Iowa, another famous Iowa-class battleship. The Missouri was the specific ship where Japan’s formal surrender was signed, and the ceremony lasted about 23 minutes.