Victory in the Pacific Day 15 August
Victory in the Pacific Day marks Japan's unconditional surrender to the Allies after more than 3 years of war. It's a special time for us to reflect on the important role that Australians played to end the war in the Pacific region.
Commemorating 2020 VP Day in Australia
In the lead up to the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, we’ve been revealing how Australians who served and those at home experienced the war in our online feature – VP75: Paths to Victory.
We sent free posters, ebooks and educational resources about Australia's involvement in World War II to schools around Australia. You can download those resources.
We’ve released a gallery of ‘Then and Now’ photo montages in Sites of Significance.
ABC will broadcast the Australian Government’s Commemorative Service to mark the 75th Anniversary of the end of World War II. The service begins at 10am AEST on Saturday 15 August 2020.
Join in with Australians on social media by sharing your special memories of someone who served #oneinamillion – follow us on Facebook.
Significance of the date
Victory in the Pacific Day - or 'VP Day' - is commemorated across Australia and the world. As the anniversary of the day World War II ended, it's a date that we'll never forget.
On 15 August 1945, Japan accepted the Allied Nations' terms of surrender and Australia's Prime Minister, Ben Chifley, announced that the war was over.
Australia at war
World War II is a significant event in Australia's history. Nearly 1 million Australians served in the armed forces during the war. It was also the first time since European settlement that Australia came under attack.
On VP Day, we remember Australia's war efforts from 1942 to 1945 in the Pacific region, including in Singapore, Borneo, Malaya, Papua, New Guinea and New Britain. It was a time when people worked hard and cooperated to defend the nation.
We commemorate those who served in the war. Some 40,000 Australians didn't return home to their families. Over 17,000 of them lost their lives while fighting in the war against Japan, some 8000 of whom died in Japanese captivity.