World War II ended on two key dates depending on the theater of war:
- In Europe, the war ended on May 8, 1945, when Germany officially surrendered to the Allies. This day is known as Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day). The surrender followed Adolf Hitler's suicide on April 30, 1945.
- In the Pacific theater, the war ended with the formal surrender of Japan on September 2, 1945. Japan had announced its surrender on August 15, 1945, which is commemorated as Victory over Japan Day (V-J Day) but the official signing of surrender documents happened aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.
Thus, the global conflict officially concluded on September 2, 1945.
