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2d ago

World Marks 80th VE Day with Parades, Memorials, and Reflections

As global cities commemorate the end of World War II in Europe, the 80th anniversary highlights the enduring lessons of unity, sacrifice, and resistance to aggression.

People crowd Times Square at 42nd Street in New York City on May 8, 1945, as the V-E Day celebration continues into the night. (AP Photo/Matty Zimmerman, File)
FILE - Happy crowds gather round the Rond-Point on the Champs-Elysees, Paris, France, on V-E Day, May 8, 1945, to celebrate the announcement of Germany's unconditional surrender. (AP Photo/Henry L. Griffin, File)
FILE - Recently released British prisoners of war meet up with a parachute recce party while marching towards Allied lines, in Germany May 4, 1945. German authorities have recently released 8,000 British prisoners of war. (AP Photo/Eddie Worth, File)
FILE - A view taken from a Cub artillery observation plane on July 10, 1945, shows vast areas of destruction in Berlin, after repeated Anglo-American air raids on the German capital. Seen on the left, center, is the heavily damaged building of the German Reichstag with its distinct cupola, in the background center are the remains of Lehrter Bahnhof, one of the city's train stations. (AP Photo, File)

Overview

  • The 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day is being observed with parades, flyovers, and memorial services in cities from London to Moscow.
  • VE Day commemorates Germany's unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945, following the fall of Berlin and Adolf Hitler’s suicide on April 30 of that year.
  • Events include military processions, royal ceremonies, and community initiatives like exhibitions and poppy installations to honor the war's 75 million victims.
  • While the war in Europe ended in May 1945, the global conflict continued until Japan's surrender on September 2, 1945, aboard the USS Missouri.
  • The anniversary resonates today as geopolitical tensions and conflicts test the principles of democracy and collective action established after World War II.