What Day Is August 14? Japan Surrenders and Pakistan Independence
August 14 is the 226th day of the year. On August 14, 1945, Japan's Emperor Hirohito announced his country's surrender, ending the Pacific War. In 1947, Pakistan declared independence from British India. The Catholic Church commemorates St. Maximilian Kolbe.
About August 14
August 14 is the 226th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (227th in a leap year). There are 139 days remaining until the end of the year.
The significance of August 14
On the afternoon of August 14, 1945, Emperor Hirohito delivered his first-ever radio address, known in Japanese as the Gyokuon-hōsō (jewel voice broadcast). He announced Japan’s acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration, effectively ending World War II in the Pacific. The formal surrender was signed on September 2 aboard the USS Missouri. In many countries August 14 or 15 is celebrated as V-J Day (Victory over Japan). In 1947, Pakistan declared independence from British India at midnight, a nation carved out specifically as a homeland for Muslims, though partition also caused one of the largest mass migrations in human history.
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On This Day in History
- 1945Emperor Hirohito's radio address announced Japan's acceptance of the Allied terms of surrender, effectively ending World War II in the Pacific. The formal signing took place on September 2, 1945.
- 1947Pakistan declared independence from British India, becoming the world's first state created specifically as a homeland for Muslims. Muhammad Ali Jinnah became Governor-General.
Baby Names for This Day
August 14 marks Japan's surrender and Pakistan's independence. Names connected to peace and new beginnings:
- MaximilianBoy
St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Franciscan priest who volunteered to die in place of a fellow prisoner at Auschwitz; his feast is August 14.
- MaximilianBoy
See above.
- KolbeUnisex
A rare surname-as-first-name honoring Maximilian Kolbe's extraordinary sacrifice at Auschwitz.
- HirohitoBoy
The emperor whose radio address on August 14, 1945, announced Japan's surrender; 'prosperous benevolence' in Japanese.
- AliBoy
Liaquat Ali Khan, Pakistan's first Prime Minister; Ali is also one of the most widely used names in the Islamic world.
- JinnahUnisex
Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, who died just a year after independence; rarely used as a given name, but historically important.
Frequently Asked Questions
What day is August 14?add
August 14 is the day Japan announced its surrender (1945), ending WWII in the Pacific, and Pakistan's Independence Day (1947). The feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe. The 226th day of the year.
What number day of the year is August 14?add
August 14 is the 226th day of the year, or the 227th in a leap year, with 139 days remaining.
What zodiac sign is August 14?add
August 14 is Leo, which runs from July 23 to August 22.