Events from the year 1945 in the United States. World War II ended during this year following the surrender of Germany in May and that of Japan in July.

Incumbents

Federal government

{| class="wikitable collapsible collapsed" ! Governors and lieutenant governors

Governors

• Governor of Alabama: Chauncey Sparks (Democratic) • Governor of Arizona: Sidney Preston Osborn (Democratic) • Governor of Arkansas: Homer Martin Adkins (Democratic) (until January 9), Benjamin Travis Laney (Democratic) (starting January 9) • Governor of California: Earl Warren (Republican) • Governor of Colorado: John Charles Vivian (Republican) • Governor of Connecticut: Raymond E. Baldwin (Republican) • Governor of Delaware: Walter W. Bacon (Republican) • Governor of Florida: Spessard Holland (Democratic) (until January 2), Millard F. Caldwell (Democratic) (starting January 2) • Governor of Georgia: Ellis Arnall (Democratic) • Governor of Idaho: • * until January 1: C. A. Bottolfsen (Republican) • * January 1-November 17: Charles C. Gossett (Democratic) • * starting November 17: Arnold Williams (Democratic) • Governor of Illinois: Dwight H. Green (Republican) • Governor of Indiana: Henry F. Schricker (Democratic) (until January 8), Ralph F. Gates (Republican) (starting January 8) • Governor of Iowa: Bourke B. Hickenlooper (Republican) (until January 11), Robert D. Blue (Republican) (starting January 11) • Governor of Kansas: Andrew F. Schoeppel (Republican) • Governor of Kentucky: Simeon S. Willis (Republican) • Governor of Louisiana: Jimmie H. Davis (Democratic) • Governor of Maine: Sumner Sewall (Republican) (until January 3), Horace A. Hildreth (Republican) (starting January 3) • Governor of Maryland: Herbert R. O'Conor (Democratic) • Governor of Massachusetts: Leverett Saltonstall (Republican) (until January 3), Maurice J. Tobin (Democratic) (starting January 3) • Governor of Michigan: Harry Kelly (Republican) • Governor of Minnesota: Edward John Thye (Republican) • Governor of Mississippi: Thomas L. Bailey (Democratic) • Governor of Missouri: Forrest C. Donnell (Republican) (until January 8), Phil M. Donnelly (Democratic) (starting January 8) • Governor of Montana: Sam C. Ford (Republican) • Governor of Nebraska: Dwight Griswold (Republican) • Governor of Nevada: Edward P. Carville (Democratic) (until July 24), Vail M. Pittman (Democratic) (starting July 24) • Governor of New Hampshire: Robert O. Blood (Republican) (until January 4), Charles M. Dale (Republican) (starting January 4) • Governor of New Jersey: Walter Evans Edge (Republican) • Governor of New Mexico: John J. Dempsey (Democratic) • Governor of New York: Thomas Dewey (Republican) • Governor of North Carolina: J. Melville Broughton (Democratic) (until January 4), R. Gregg Cherry (Democratic) (until January 4) • Governor of North Dakota: John Moses (Democratic) (until January 4), Fred G. Aandahl (Republican) (starting January 4) • Governor of Ohio: John W. Bricker (Republican) (until January 8), Frank J. Lausche (Democratic) (starting January 8) • Governor of Oklahoma: Robert S. Kerr (Democratic) • Governor of Oregon: Earl Snell (Republican) • Governor of Pennsylvania: Edward Martin (Republican) • Governor of Rhode Island: J. Howard McGrath (Democratic) (until October 6), John Orlando Pastore (Democratic) (starting October 6) • Governor of South Carolina: Olin D. Johnston (Democratic) (until January 2), Ransome Judson Williams (Democratic) (starting January 2) • Governor of South Dakota: Merrill Q. Sharpe (Republican) • Governor of Tennessee: Prentice Cooper (Democratic) (until January 16), Jim Nance McCord (Democratic) (starting January 16) • Governor of Texas: Coke R. Stevenson (Democratic) • Governor of Utah: Herbert B. Maw (Democratic) • Governor of Vermont: William H. Wills (Republican) (until January 4), Mortimer R. Proctor (Republican) (starting January 4) • Governor of Virginia: Colgate Darden (Democratic) • Governor of Washington: Arthur B. Langlie (Republican) (until January 8), Monrad C. Wallgren (Democratic) (starting January 8) • Governor of West Virginia: Matthew M. Neely (Democratic) (until January 15), Clarence W. Meadows (Democratic) (starting January 15) • Governor of Wisconsin: Walter S. Goodland (Republican) • Governor of Wyoming: Lester C. Hunt (Democratic)

Lieutenant governors

• Lieutenant Governor of Alabama: Leven H. Ellis (Democratic) • Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas: James Lavesque Shaver (Democratic) • Lieutenant Governor of California: Frederick F. Houser (Republican) • Lieutenant Governor of Colorado: William Eugene Higby (Republican) • Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut: William L. Hadden (Republican) (until month and day unknown), Charles Wilbert Snow (Democratic) (starting month and day unknown) • Lieutenant Governor of Delaware: Isaac J. MacCollum (Democratic) (until January 16), Elbert N. Carvel (Democratic) (starting January 16) • Lieutenant Governor of Idaho: • * until January 1: Edwin Nelson (Republican) • * January 1-November 17: Arnold Williams (Democratic) • * starting November 17: vacant • Lieutenant Governor of Illinois: Hugh W. Cross (Republican) • Lieutenant Governor of Indiana: Charles M. Dawson (Democratic) (until January 8), Richard T. James (Republican) (starting January 8) • Lieutenant Governor of Iowa: Robert D. Blue (Republican) (until January 11), Kenneth A. Evans (Republican) (starting January 11) • Lieutenant Governor of Kansas: Jess C. Denious, Sr. (Republican) • Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky: Kenneth H. Tuggle (Republican) • Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana: J. Emile Verret (Democratic) • Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts: Horace T. Cahill (Republican) (until January 3), vacant (starting January 3) • Lieutenant Governor of Michigan: Eugene C. Keyes (Republican) (until month and day unknown), Vernon J. Brown (Republican) (starting month and day unknown) • Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota: Archie H. Miller (Republican) (until January 2), C. Elmer Anderson (Republican) (starting January 2) • Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi: Fielding L. Wright (Republican) • Lieutenant Governor of Missouri: vacant (until January 8), Walter Naylor Davis (Democratic) (starting January 8) • Lieutenant Governor of Montana: Ernest T. Eaton (Republican) • Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska: Roy W. Johnson (Republican) • Lieutenant Governor of Nevada: Vail M. Pittman (Democratic) (until July 24), vacant (starting July 24) • Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico: James B. Jones (Democratic) • Lieutenant Governor of New York: Joseph R. Hanley (Republican) • Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina: Reginald L. Harris (Democratic) (until January 4), Lynton Y. Ballentine (Democratic) (starting January 4) • Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota: vacant (until January 4), Clarence P. Dahl (Republican) (starting January 4) • Lieutenant Governor of Ohio: Paul M. Herbert (Republican) (until January 8), George D. Nye (Democratic) (starting January 8) • Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma: James E. Berry (Democratic) • Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania: John C. Bell, Jr. (Republican) • Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island: • * until month and day unknown: vacant • * month and day unknown: John O. Pastore (Democratic) • * starting month and day unknown: vacant • Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina: Ransome Judson Williams (Democratic) (until January 2), vacant (starting January 2) • Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota: A. C. Miller (Republican) (until month and day unknown), Sioux K. Grigsby (Republican) (starting month and day unknown) • Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee: Joseph H. Ballew (Democratic) (until month and day unknown), Larry Morgan (Democratic) (starting month and day unknown) • Lieutenant Governor of Texas: John Lee Smith (Democratic) • Lieutenant Governor of Vermont: Mortimer R. Proctor (Republican) (until January 4), Lee E. Emerson (Republican) (starting January 4) • Lieutenant Governor of Virginia: William M. Tuck (Democratic) • Lieutenant Governor of Washington: Victor A. Meyers (Democratic) • Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin: Oscar Rennebohm (Republican)

Events

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Undated

Ongoing

Births

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Date unknown

Deaths