Surrender of Japan
Arrives by plane at Atsugi airodrome to take the formal surrender of Japan
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1945 in United States of America — Page 6
Explore 287 historical events and records for United States of America in 1945.
Historical records for United States of America in 1945
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 287 unique records.
287Unique records
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31Named events on this page
21Named people on this page
13Places on this page
August
September
Result of Surrender of Japan
MacArthur formally receives Japan's capitulation on behalf of the Allied powers.
Surrender of Japan
Formally accepts the surrender of Japan on the aircraft-carrier Missouri
Courtroom 600 Reconstruction Prepared for IMT
Work enlarges the principal courtroom, adds galleries and creates space for judges, prosecutors, defendants, interpreters and international press.
Trial
Instructs the creation of an international war tribunal to try Japanese war criminals
Death of Peter Dewey
Death of Peter Dewey, 1st American to die in Vietnam
October
Manhattan Project
Oppenheimer resigns as director of Los Alamos, and is succeeded by Norris Bradbury
Manhattan Project
Oppenheimer resigns as director of Los Alamos, and is succeeded by Norris Bradbury
Manhattan Project
Oppenheimer resigns as director of Los Alamos, and is succeeded by Norris Bradbury
Manhattan Project
Oppenheimer resigns as director of Los Alamos, and is succeeded by Norris Bradbury
IMT Indictment Presented against Major War Criminals
Jackson joins the Allied chief prosecutors in presenting the indictment against leading Nazi officials on four categories of international crimes.
Benbrook First Grade Admission
Lee entered first grade in the Benbrook Common School on October 31, 1945, with school records showing an incorrect birth date.
Commander of 15th Army
Appointed Commander of the 15th Army
Commander of 15th Army
Appointed Commander of the 15th Army
Simultaneous Interpretation System Prepared
Technical teams equip the courtroom for simultaneous English, French, German and Russian interpretation so participants can follow proceedings in real time.
November
Army Chief of Staff Designation
Designated Chief of Staff of the United States Army.
Coogan Certifies Evidence Handling Procedures
Coogan signs an affidavit describing how captured records were collected, screened, transported, translated, photographed and preserved for courtroom use.
Jackson Delivers United States Opening Statement
Jackson delivers the principal American opening address, explaining the prosecution's documentary case against the Nazi leadership.
Trial Purpose Framed as Lawful Accountability
Jackson presents the prosecution as a legal process intended to punish proven crimes through evidence and judgment rather than summary retaliation.
Truman appoints General Marshall special representitive to China
Truman appoints General Marshall special representitive to China
Storey Explains Documentary Authentication
Storey explains how American investigators captured and authenticated German records before prosecutors introduced them as evidence.
Document Case Chosen as Core Prosecution Method
Jackson's team relies heavily on captured German records so the prosecution can demonstrate policy and command responsibility from the regime's own documentation.
December
Control Council Law Ten Creates Wider War Crimes Basis
Control Council Law No. 10 establishes a common legal basis for further occupation-zone prosecutions of war crimes, crimes against peace and crimes against humanity.
Death of George Smith Patton
Death of George Smith Patton
Burial
Buried among the soldiers who died in the Battle of the Bulger
Other events (month unknown)
Bombing of Nagasaki
"Fat Man", an implosion-type plutonium-239 weapon, is used against the city of Nagasaki, Japan
Fat Man
"Fat Man", an implosion-type plutonium-239 weapon, is used against the city of Nagasaki, Japan
Manhattan Project
"Fat Man", an implosion-type plutonium-239 weapon, is used against the city of Nagasaki, Japan
Allied Control Commission
Appointed Member of Allied Control Commission
Allied Control Commission
Appointed Member of Allied Control Commission
Allied Control Commission
Initial Member of Allied Control Commission over Germany
Ambassador of China
Appointed US Ambassador of China
Ambassadorial Appointment
Appointed US Ambassador of China
Associate Justice
Appointed Associate Justice in the US Supreme Court
Bombing of Hiroshima
President Truman cables Stimson authorizing the bombing of Hiroshima. Argues that by dropping the bomb 100,000 American lives will be saved
Bronze Star Award
Shaw received the Bronze Star for his service in the United States Army during the Second World War.
Capture of Remagen
Captures the Bridge across the Rhine at Remagen
Capture of Remagen
Combat Command B of the US 9th Armored Division captures the bridge at Remagen. 1st Allied bridgehead over the Rhine
Captured German Records Screened for Evidence
Coogan's document teams screen large collections of captured German files and forward material with evidentiary value to Nuremberg.
Casablanca Decisions Become Wartime Legacy
The Casablanca meeting became an important precedent for major Allied conferences that preceded the founding of the United Nations.
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.