VJ Day: The Moment World War II Finally Ended

Eighty one years ago this week, on August 14, 1945, the news that a war weary world had been waiting years to hear finally arrived. Japan had accepted the terms of unconditional surrender, and World War II, the deadliest conflict in human history, was effectively over. Within hours, the announcement set off some of the biggest spontaneous celebrations America had ever seen, and the day would go…