World War II Timeline: August 1945

A dated guide to 6 documented events in August 1945, with links to individual historical records.

Dated historical records

Entries below follow the dates recorded in the WWII CHRONOS archive. Each linked title opens the original historical entry, including its source reference.

1. 1945-08-06 — Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima — The United States drops an atomic bomb on the Japanese city, killing large numbers of civilians.
2. 1945-08-08 — Soviet Union Enters the War against Japan — The Soviet Union declares war on Japan; the offensive in Manchuria begins on 9 August.
3. 1945-08-09 — Atomic Bombing of Nagasaki — A second American atomic bomb strikes the Japanese city.
4. 1945-08-14 — Japan Agrees to Surrender — In August 1945, Japan faced the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Soviet entry into the war in the Far East.
5. 1945-08-15 — Japan Announces Surrender — The Emperor of Japan informs the population that the surrender terms have been accepted.
6. 1945-08-17 — Indonesian Declaration of Independence — Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta proclaim Indonesian independence after Japan's surrender.

For wider context, explore the interactive historical timeline and compare events across theaters.