Harry Truman declared 2 September 1945 to be V-J Day after Japan’s formal surrender.
Truman was president of the United States when Japanese representatives signed the surrender instrument aboard USS Missouri. His declaration followed the ceremony and identified the date with victory over Japan.
The announcement came after Japan’s public surrender message in August, but Truman distinguished the formal conclusion from the earlier announcement. This contributed to the continuing use of more than one V-J Day date in different countries and historical contexts.
In the United States, 2 September became the principal date associated with the formal end of the war against Japan. In Japan and several other countries, 15 August remains strongly associated with the announcement that the government had accepted the Allied terms. Time-zone differences also caused the announcement to fall on 14 August in parts of the Americas.