August 15th, 2021 commemorates the 76th anniversary of the end of the Second World War for Canada but did you know there are a few significant dates that mark the end of the War for different countries around the world?

May 2, 1945 marked the end of the war in Italy and the Mediterranean. May 8, 1945 is known as Victory in Europe (or V-E) day, and marks the German surrender (Russia honours May 9 as the official date of the signing of the German Instrument of Surrender).

But the war was not truly over. With the cessation of hostilities in Europe, attention turned to Japan and the ongoing Battle of the Pacific.

Following the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6 and 9, 1945, Japan announced its unconditional surrender on August 14, 1945 – which was announced in the United States and Canada on August 15, 1945.

The formal Japanese surrender was signed on September 2, 1945. In Canada, Victory Over Japan Day (V-J Day), and the end of the Second World War, is commemorated on August 15.

In the United States, the date of commemoration is September 2.

Heritage Mississauga continues to research, record, and celebrate Mississauga’s connections to the Second World War and will be featuring many of our discoveries in the upcoming months!