V-J Day
V-J Day
On August 14, 1945, the Japanese accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration and agreed to surrender, ending World War II. It is known as V-J Day. Announcing the news to the country in the evening, President Harry S. Truman also proclaimed a two-day holiday. Explosive celebrations immediately followed as Americans and their Allies rejoiced that World War II appeared to be at an end. Note, on September 2, 1945, representatives from Japan signed the Instrument of Surrender on board USS Missouri (BB-63) in Tokyo Bay, Japan.
Image: 80-G-490285: Victory Celebrations (V-J Day) at Commander in Chief, Pacific HQ, Guam, August 15, 1945. Official U.S. Navy photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives.
