Victory in Europe Day 2027 is on Saturday

About Victory in Europe Day

After Adolf Hitler's suicide on April 30, 1945, Germany's new leader, Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz, sought terms with the Allies. On May 7, at General Dwight Eisenhower's headquarters in Reims, France, General Alfred Jodl signed Germany's unconditional surrender of all its forces, to take effect the following day. Soviet leader Joseph Stalin wanted a ceremony of his own, so a second surrender document was signed in Berlin on May 8 by Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel.

In Britain the BBC announced late on May 7 that the next day would be a national holiday, and on May 8 crowds filled the streets for parades, street parties and thanksgiving services. In the United States, President Harry Truman broadcast the news of Germany's surrender on May 8 and proclaimed the following Sunday, May 13, a day of prayer, reminding Americans that the war against Japan was not yet over. It ended in August and September 1945.

Because of time zones, the surrender took effect on May 9 in Moscow, and the Soviet Union celebrated Victory Day on that date. Russia and several other former Soviet states still mark it on May 9. New Zealand also held its official celebration on May 9, 1945, after Winston Churchill's announcement had been made in London.

Today VE Day is a public holiday in some countries. France observes May 8 as an official holiday called Victoire 1945. In the United Kingdom it is normally a working day, though in 2020 the early May bank holiday was moved to Friday, May 8, for the 75th anniversary. The United Nations General Assembly, in resolution 59/26 of 2004, declared May 8 and 9 a Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for those who lost their lives in the Second World War, recognizing that countries keep their own days of victory, liberation and commemoration.

Sources: Imperial War Museums: What You Need To Know About VE Day (archived copy), American Presidency Project: Truman, Proclamation 2651, Victory in Europe: Day of Prayer, United Nations: Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World War, Service-Public.fr: Jours fériés et ponts dans le secteur privé, GOV.UK: UK bank holidays. How we check dates.

How to mark Victory in Europe Day

• Attend a local remembrance service, wreath-laying or veterans' event held for the anniversary.
• Ask older relatives what they or their parents remember about the end of the war in Europe, and record their stories.
• Read the surrender documents and wartime photographs in the online collections of the Imperial War Museums or the US National Archives.
• Visit a war memorial or military cemetery near you and read the names of those it commemorates.
• Listen to recordings of the May 8, 1945, broadcasts by Truman and Churchill and talk about them with students or family members.

Victory in Europe Day dates