Which U.S. admiral signed Japan's 1945 surrender instrument for the United States?

Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz signed Japan’s 1945 surrender instrument for the United States.

Nimitz signed after General Douglas MacArthur, who accepted the surrender as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers. The signing occurred aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on 2 September 1945. Nimitz represented the United States, while MacArthur signed in his multinational Allied command role.

Nimitz had served as Commander in Chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas during the war. He oversaw major American naval operations across the Pacific, including the campaigns that pushed Japan’s forces back toward the home islands.

The order of signatures is important. MacArthur signed first for the Allied powers, Nimitz signed for the United States, and representatives of China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand followed. Nimitz used two pens, one of which later went to a museum in China.