On August 15, 1945, Japan announced its surrender to the Allied Forces, effectively ending World War II. The decision came days after the United States dropped atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, causing massive destruction and loss of life. Emperor Hirohito made a historic radio broadcast to the Japanese people, accepting the terms of the Potsdam Declaration and calling for peace. The formal surrender ceremony took place on September 2, 1945, aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. Japan’s surrender marked the end of one of the deadliest conflicts in human history and the beginning of a new era of reconstruction and peace.