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Celebrating The 80th Anniversary of the End of World War II

As we celebrate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, come with us on an imaginary journey through what could have been newspaper headlines in the week surrounding that momentous occasion.

27 August 1945

A vintage newspaper front page dated August 27, 1945, announces U.S. battleships Missouri and Iowa sailing into Tokyo Bay, with a black-and-white photo of battleships at sea and a caption about World War II’s ending—an iconic piece now marking the 80th anniversary of this historic moment.
Vintage newspaper front page titled Special Edition, dated August 27, 1945, featuring a logbook entry from Battleship Iowa about Japan’s surrender in WWII and a summary of related naval actions. Issued to commemorate the 80th anniversary, this piece displays black text on a white background.

30 August 1945

Black-and-white newspaper front page titled SPECIAL EDITION showing a group of USS Iowa sailors posing on a ship at Yokosuka Naval Base, dated August 30, 1945—an iconic image now commemorating the 80th anniversary of this historic moment.
A vintage newspaper-style page titled Special Edition dated 30 August 1945, detailing the Battleship Iowa’s logbook entry about landings in Tokyo Bay at the end of World War II—now commemorated on the 80th anniversary of this historic event.
A newspaper-style graphic with the headline Special Edition and a photo of a wooden chair. The text explains the chair was taken from IJN NAGATO in 1945 and brought to Iowa for the 80th anniversary commemoration.

 

(There's a deeper story about the chair. Click here to hear more.)

 

A vintage newspaper page details the history of the IJN Nagato battleship, noting its WWII role and later sinking at Bikini Atoll during its 80th year since launch, with two black-and-white photos of the ship and its wreckage.

2 September 1945

Black and white newspaper-style image with the headline Japan Signs Instrument of Surrender. Below, officials sign documents on a battleship as uniformed military personnel watch—capturing the historic moment now commemorated on the 80th anniversary.
A newspaper-style page titled Special Edition features entries from the Battleship Iowa’s logbook dated 2 September 1945, detailing events from Tokyo Bay during World War II’s end, in honor of the 80th anniversary of this historic moment.
A vintage newspaper-style page commemorating the 80th anniversary, with headlines about USS St. Louis escaping Pearl Harbor, a photo of a Navy ship, and a photo of an American flag. The text recounts historical events from Pearl Harbor and World War II.

 

(A crew member who was aboard ST LOUIS on December 7th later commissioned IOWA and remained with her through the end of the war. Hear his Sept. 2nd story here.)

 

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