V-J Day: The End of the Era of the World Wars

A pilot in Waukegan, Charlie McMannis reads extensively on the history of World Wars I and II. As a veteran of the armed services and a history buff, Charlie McMannis enjoys World War documentaries and studies non-fiction texts regarding the first half of the 20th century.

The era of the World Wars ended on August 14, 1945, on what has since been given the technical cognomen "Victoryover Japan Day," or more simply, "V-J Day." On V-J Day, the Japanese emperor officially encouraged the nation of Japan to accept the nation's surrender, claiming that continuing to fight could lead to the obliteration of human civilization. Many images of V-J Day persist as strong cultural touchstones regarding World War II, including a picture taken for Life magazine of a man in uniform locked in a passionate kiss with a nurse in the middle of Times Square in New York.

Though views on V-J Day have changed with the evolution of Japanese-American political relationships, its representations still evoke powerful feelings tied to the event among veterans’ groups, among others.