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What are V-E Day and V-J Day?

V-E Day stands for Victory in Europe Day, and V-J Day stands for Victory over Japan Day. After the German surrender, a treaty was signed in Reims, France, the headquarters of U.S. general Dwight D. Eisenhower. In the early hours of May 7, 1945, U.S. President Harry S Truman declared May 8 V-E Day, the end of World War II (1939–45) in Europe. Nevertheless, the war did not reach a final conclusion until the surrender of Japan on August 14, 1945. September 2, 1945, was declared the official V-J Day because Japan signed the terms of surrender on that date aboard the battleship USS Missouri, anchored in Tokyo Bay.

Further Information: Gilbert, Martin. The Day the War Ended: May 8, 1945-Victory in Europe. New York: Henry Holt, 1995; James, D. Clayton with Anne Sharp Wells. From Pearl Harbor to V-J Day: The American Armed Forces in World War II. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee,...

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