Who proclaimed 2 September 1945 as V-J Day in the United States?

Harry S. Truman proclaimed 2 September 1945 as V-J Day in the United States. Truman was the U.S. president when Japan signed the surrender document aboard USS Missouri.

The date marked the formal signing ceremony rather than the first public announcement of Japan’s acceptance. Japan’s government announced the decision on 15 August in Japan, while the news reached the United States on 14 August because of the time difference.

Truman’s designation helped connect V-J Day with the official conclusion of the war. However, the term has been used for several related dates, including the August announcement and the September signing.

Truman became president after Franklin D. Roosevelt died in April 1945. During Truman’s presidency, the United States used atomic bombs against Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan announced its surrender, and the Allied occupation began.