World War II formally ended in 1945, with two significant dates marking its conclusion. On May 7, 1945, Germany's unconditional surrender was officially signed, leading to the end of the war in Europe on May 8, known as Victory in Europe (VE) Day. The war in the Pacific continued until Japan's surrender following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, a surrender that was formally signed on September 2, 1945, aboard the USS Missouri. The end of World War II brought about a profound shift in global politics and marked the beginning of the Cold War era.