Which U.S. president announced Victory over Japan Day in a radio address in August 1945?

Harry S. Truman announced Victory over Japan Day in a radio address in August 1945.

Truman became president after Franklin D. Roosevelt died in April 1945. As president, he oversaw the final months of the war against Japan, including the Potsdam Conference, the atomic bombings, and the diplomatic decisions surrounding Japan’s surrender.

On August 14, 1945, Truman announced that Japan had accepted the Allied terms. In the United States, the announcement was received on August 14 because of the international date line, while Japan’s radio broadcast reached its audience on August 15. Truman’s statement helped establish the American observance of V-J Day.

The formal surrender did not occur until September 2. Truman therefore distinguished the public announcement from the later legal and military ceremony. This difference explains why historical accounts sometimes identify August 14, August 15, or September 2 as the relevant V-J Day date, depending on country and context.