May 8, 1945, marks the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany, thereby ending World War II in Europe after six long years of war. There were two surrender signings. The first was on May 7, 1945, when German Col. General Alfred Jodl signed Germany’s surrender on all fronts in Reims, France. The second signing, which was insisted upon by Soviet Premier Josef Stalin, was by German Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel on May 8, 1945, in Berlin. The Soviet Union celebrates V-E Day on May 9. This is due to the difference in Central European and Moscow time zones. Jodl and Keitel were later found guilty of war crimes by the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg, Germany. Both were subsequently executed.

Across cities and villages, from London to Paris to New York, bells rang, flags waved, and strangers embraced in the streets. The air was filled with laughter, tears, and the echo of relief. For those who had waited anxiously for the return of loved ones, it was a day of hope. For those who had lost them, it was bittersweet.

Leaders addressed their nations. Winston Churchill spoke not just of victory, but of the cost paid to achieve it. King George VI reminded the British people of their courage, while in the United States, President Harry Truman dedicated the day to the memory of President Roosevelt, who had died just weeks earlier.