On 14 August 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 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 2 September 1945, representatives from Japan signed the Instrument of Surrender on board USS Missouri (BB 63) in Tokyo Bay.