What year did World War II end?

World War II ended in 1945, marking a significant moment in history. The war, which began in 1939, came to a close in Europe on May 8, 1945, known as Victory in Europe (VE) Day, following the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany. Later, in the Pacific, the war concluded with the surrender of Japan on September 2, 1945, after the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of that year. This end of conflict led to the establishment of the United Nations and set the stage for the geopolitical landscape of the following decades. The other years mentioned do not align with this historical timeline, as 1940 falls within the active years of the war, while 1950 and 1960 are well after the conclusion of World War II.