Which U.S. president officially proclaimed September 2, 1945, as V-J Day?

Harry S. Truman officially proclaimed September 2, 1945, as V-J Day.

Truman was president of the United States when Japan’s formal surrender was signed aboard USS Missouri. After the ceremony, he proclaimed September 2 as Victory over Japan Day, or V-J Day, while noting that the formal proclamation did not mean every wartime issue had instantly ended.

The date can cause confusion because August 15 was the day Emperor Hirohito’s surrender announcement was broadcast in Japan. Due to time-zone differences, some Allied countries also associated August 14 or August 15 with V-J Day. September 2 specifically refers to the formal signing ceremony.

Truman had become president after Franklin D. Roosevelt died in April 1945. During Truman’s presidency, the United States used atomic bombs against Hiroshima and Nagasaki, accepted Japan’s surrender, and began the occupation of Japan.