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Happy Friday! And if you are in the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea, Canada, or the United Kingdom, Happy V-J Day!
August 15, 2025, marks the official 80-year commemoration for these countries. On August 15, 1945, local time, Emperor Hirohito of Japan broadcast on Radio Tokyo the surrender of the Japanese people, marking a ceasefire that led to the end of World War II. Because of time zone differences, there are some countries that heard the announcement on August 14, 1945, and use that date to commemorate. That was also the date that this iconic photo was taken in Times Square, New York:
August 14, 1945: V-J Day in Times Square. Photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt for LIFE. #VJDay #history pic.twitter.com/NHYQzLrxHY
— American History (@TodayInAmHist) August 14, 2017
Here in the U.S., we officially mark V-J Day on September 2, 1945. Why? Because this date was when the formal signing of the Instrument of Surrender took place aboard the USS Missouri in Japan’s Tokyo Bay. As a history geek and a writer, I delight in these distinctions. But for two United States Navy veterans who served together in World War II, August 15, 2025, is doubly distinctive: It is also the day they celebrate their 80th wedding anniversary.
There are fewer and fewer of the Greatest Generation around to celebrate, so this faithful and honorable couple gets the Feel-Good Friday treatment this week.
