Harry S. Truman announced to the American public that Japan had accepted the surrender terms in 1945.
Truman’s radio announcement was broadcast during the evening of August 14, 1945, in the United States. News of Japan’s acceptance triggered enormous public celebrations, even though the formal signing ceremony would not occur until September 2.
Truman had become president after Franklin D. Roosevelt died in April 1945. As president, he authorized the use of atomic bombs against Hiroshima and Nagasaki and oversaw the final months of the war against Japan. His announcement marked the public recognition that the Pacific War was ending.
The announcement date can cause confusion because time zones meant that some countries received the news on August 15. The United States commonly associated its V-J Day observance with August 14, while many Allied countries used August 15. The later ceremony aboard USS Missouri was the formal legal act of surrender.