Tuesday, August 15, 2023

Emperor Hirohito Announces Japan's Surrender

Today in Philippine History (Philatelic Edition Series 3):

AUGUST 15, 1945

Emperor Hirohito announced on Radio Tokyo the unconditional surrender of the Empire of Japan on August 15, 1945. 

On the same day, President Sergio Osmeña sent a congratulatory message to United States President Harry S. Truman. 

The United States, together with the United Kingdom and China issued the Proclamation Defining Terms for Japanese Surrender or the Potsdam Declaration of July 26, 1945. 

US President Harry S. Truman, United Kingdom Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Chairman of China Chiang Kai-shek issued the document, which outlined the terms of surrender for the Empire of Japan. The ultimatum stated that, if Japan did not surrender, it would face "prompt and utter destruction." 

Earlier, the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima (August 6, 1945) and Nagasaki (August 9, 1945), destroying the cities and killing tens of thousands of people in just a matter of seconds. 

Japan's surrender called the V-J Day or Victory over Japan Day was made on August 15, 1945 but because of the difference in time zones, it was still August 14, 1945 in the United States and the rest of the Americas and the Eastern Pacific Islands. 

President Truman appeared on nationwide broadcast aired at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, August 14, 1945 announcing Japan's surrender.

In Japan, the National Memorial Service for War Dead is conducted every August 15, by the Japanese government to commemorate the victims of World War II. The first memorial ceremony was held on May 2, 1952.

(Design, concept, stamps and research: Richard Allan B. Uy) All rights reserved

Photo credit: wikipedia.org

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