When is VJ Day 2020 and what is the date about?

Victory over Japan Day (VJ Day) is a yearly commemoration of the day Imperial Japan surrendered in World War II.

This surrender, which occurred on August 15 1945, marked the end of the war.

Fighting in Europe had already stopped after Victory in Europe Day (VE Day), on May 8, 1945.

Here, we take a closer look at the date and how it will be marked this year...

When is VJ Day 2020?

VJ Day, also known as Victory in the Pacific Day, or VP Day, falls this year on Saturday, August 15.

The allied victory will be celebrated across the UK. In the US, VJ day is celebrated on September 2, the date on which the surrender document was signed, officially ending the war.

What events will occur in the UK on the day?

The Government has scheduled events throughout the day which will pay tribute to service personnel who fought and died in the war against Japan.

The Red Arrows will perform a flypast over the UK, and there will be a two-minute silence led by Prince Charles and The Duchess of Cornwall at 11am.

There will be a televised service in the morning led by the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. Churches across the country will ring a single bell 75 times from 11.10am, to mark the 75 years since Japan surrendered.

What is the date about?

Imperial Japan surrendered after the US dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, on August 6 and 9 1845. The Soviet Union also declared war on Japan on August 9, and more than 1.5 million men invaded Manchuko.

Japanese Emperor Hirohito announced Japan would accept the terms of the Potsdam Declaration – which outlined the terms of surrender – on August 15.

US President Harry Truman confirmed Victory over Japan Day at a press conference, while British Prime Minister Clement Attlee announced the victory in a broadcast to the nation.