BBC - On This Day
1945: Japan signs unconditional surrender
Japanese officials sign the act of unconditional surrender, finally bringing to an end six years of world war.
1979: Ripper suspected of 12th murder
Police discover the body of a young woman - thought to be the 12th victim of the "Yorkshire Ripper"- in an alleyway near the centre of Bradford.
1984: Seven killed in biker shootings
A 14-year-old girl and six bikers are killed in a gun battle between rival gangs in a suburb of Sydney, Australia.
1994: Roy Castle loses battle with cancer
Entertainer and television presenter Roy Castle dies from cancer at his Buckinghamshire home, just two days after his 62nd birthday.
1951: Designers prepare to dazzle Venice
British designers hold a fashion show of 40 outfits they plan to show at the Venice Biennale arts festival.