Which U.S. president announced Japan’s surrender to the American people in August 1945?

Harry S. Truman announced Japan’s surrender to the American people in August 1945.

Truman’s radio address was broadcast from Washington on August 14, 1945, after Japan communicated its acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration through diplomatic channels. The announcement reached the United States before the formal signing ceremony took place in Tokyo Bay.

Because of the International Date Line and time-zone differences, the announcement was heard on August 14 in the Americas, while Hirohito’s broadcast was heard in Japan on August 15. This is why historical references can give different dates for V-J Day.

Truman also clarified that the official celebration would wait for the formal surrender documents to be signed. That distinction separates the announcement of Japan’s decision from the legal ceremony held aboard USS Missouri on September 2. Truman had become president after Franklin D. Roosevelt died in April 1945.