Which day did President Truman initially designate as official V-J Day?

President Harry Truman initially designated 2 September 1945 as official V-J Day.

The date was chosen because Japan signed the formal Instrument of Surrender aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay that day. Truman announced that the ceremony marked the formal end of the war with Japan, while noting that the legal proclamation and cessation of hostilities involved further steps.

The date is not used identically everywhere. In the United States, public celebrations began on 14 August 1945 after Truman announced that Japan had accepted the surrender terms. In Japan and many Commonwealth countries, 15 August is associated with Hirohito’s broadcast.

This variation reflects time zones and the distinction between announcement and ceremony. Japan accepted the Potsdam Declaration in August, but the signed instrument on 2 September provided the formal document ending the conflict.