Which U.S. president declared September 2, 1945, the official V-J Day?

Harry S. Truman declared September 2, 1945, the official V-J Day for the United States.

The date marked Japan’s formal signing of the Instrument of Surrender aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. President Truman treated the signed document as the decisive official end of the conflict, distinguishing it from the earlier public announcement of Japan’s intention to surrender.

Japan’s acceptance had already been announced in August. Emperor Hirohito’s radio address was broadcast to the Japanese public on August 15 in Japan, while the news reached much of the Americas on August 14 because of time-zone differences. This created two commonly cited dates for V-J Day.

Truman’s September 2 designation reflected the formal ceremony rather than the earlier broadcast. In his radio address after the signing, he described the event as the end of the war with Japan, although some fighting and isolated Japanese resistance continued afterward.

The date is therefore not interchangeable with Victory in Europe Day, which marked Germany’s surrender in May 1945. V-J Day means victory over Japan, while V-E Day refers to victory over Germany in Europe.