How long ago
Time since World War II ended
World War II ended with Japan’s formal surrender on September 2, 1945 aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. Use the live clock below for exact years, months, and days since V-J Day — plus key dates, a short timeline, and links into US5 Places and Tools.
Time elapsed
…
Anchor date: Sunday, September 2, 1945
WWII was 80 years, 11 months, and 0 days ago (29,553 total days) as of today — anchor Sunday, September 2, 1945.
Quick facts
- End date (V-J Day formal)
- September 2, 1945
- Where surrender was signed
- USS Missouri, Tokyo Bay
- US entry into WWII
- December 8, 1941 (after Pearl Harbor)
- European theater end (V-E Day)
- May 8, 1945
- Rough US WWII service
- ~16 million Americans served
How we calculate
Elapsed time is the difference between now and the anchor date below, broken into calendar years, months, and days, plus a live hours/minutes/seconds clock.
Anchor ISO: 1945-09-02 · day-level anchors use a noon local interpretation to avoid DST edge flips.
Timeline
- 1939 Germany invades Poland; war begins in Europe.
- 1941 Pearl Harbor; United States enters the war.
- 1944 D-Day Allied landings in Normandy.
- 1945 V-E Day (May) and Japanese surrender (Sept).
Related dates
Places on US5
Tools & time
FAQ
When did WWII officially end?
Japan signed the Instrument of Surrender on September 2, 1945. Fighting had already wound down after atomic bombings and the Soviet declaration of war on Japan in August 1945.
Is V-E Day or V-J Day the “end” of WWII?
V-E Day (May 8, 1945) marks Germany’s surrender. Global WWII is usually dated to Japan’s surrender on September 2, 1945 — the date used on this page.
How do you calculate “how long ago”?
We compare today’s date to September 2, 1945 and break the difference into calendar years, months, and days, plus a total day count and a ticking clock for hours/minutes/seconds.
Where can I explore US places tied to WWII?
Start with US5 state and city pages for memorials and museums near you, or open ZIP lookup to jump into a local place page.