Japan Surrenders: World War II Ends
Japan's formal surrender on the deck of the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945, ended the deadliest conflict in human history. But August 14 was when Emperor Hirohito broadcast his surrender announcement, the first time Japanese citizens had ever heard his voice. He spoke in formal court Japanese that many listeners couldn't understand, using the euphemism "the war situation has developed not necessarily to Japan's advantage." Some military officers attempted a coup to prevent the broadcast, raiding the Imperial Palace the night before to find and destroy the recording. They failed. Celebrations erupted across Allied nations: two million people flooded into Times Square in New York.
August 14, 1945
81 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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