Event    From 8/5/1945  To 8/5/1945

VE Day

"Victory in Europe Day" actually lasted 2 days. Throughout Britain street parties were held. In the centre of London people celebrated by gathering in crowds in Trafalgar Square and surrounding streets.

On 1 May 1945 the BBC announced Hitler's suicide. On 7 May at 19.40 programmes were interrupted and Churchill made the announcement: German armed forces had surrendered unconditionally on 7 May. Hostilities in Europe ended officially at midnight, 8 May 1945. Victory in Europe celebrations to be on 8 May and 9 May. 

Sources: The BBC, International Churchill Society.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
VE Day

Commemorated ati

Dwight D Eisenhower - Kingston

General Dwight D. Eisenhower, supreme commander, allied forces Europe, Genera...

Read More

Last V2 rocket in Kingston upon Thames

The plaque says that 8 people were killed but has the names of only five: fou...

Read More

The Island mural

This mural repays some examination. Firstly, looking at the buildings in the ...

Read More

Victory in Europe Day - Woolwich 1

The quotation is one of several variations on the same theme. Possible origin...

Read More

Victory in Europe Day - Woolwich 2

This tree was planted by Frank Lerner on 8th October 2011 to mark Victory in ...

Read More

Show all 6

Other Subjects

Crystal Palace fatal accident

Crystal Palace fatal accident

After the Great Exhibition of 1851 closed, the Crystal Palace was dismantled and reconstructed in Sydenham. During a time of high unemployment the project provided jobs for over 7,000 workmen. The ...

Event, Tragedy

1 memorial
Kindertransport

Kindertransport

10,000 unaccompanied mainly Jewish children fled from Nazi persecution in 1938 and 1939. This was organised mainly by World Jewish Relief, but many Quakers helped the children at stations on the jo...

Event, Children, Transport, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Poland

2 memorials
Submarine War Memorial - 70th anniversary

Submarine War Memorial - 70th anniversary

The memorial has been maintained by the Submariners' Old Comrades, London.

Event, Community / Clubs, History

1 memorial
first gas-lit street in the world

first gas-lit street in the world

The first public street lighting with gas was demonstrated in Pall Mall by Frederick Winsor in 1807.  In January he lit the street and in June he put on a special gas-lit exhibition here, celebrati...

Event, Engineering, Transport

2 memorials
Battle of Waterloo

Battle of Waterloo

Just like a Hollywood movie that doesn't know when to end, Napoleon escaped from Elba, and returned for one last attempt at world domination. The memorial at the station refers to the "Allied armie...

Event, Armed Forces

7 memorials

Previously viewed

Percy Balfour

Percy Balfour

Worked at the Stock Exchange and died in WW1.

Person

War dead, WW1
1 memorial
The Chase - street party - birthday

The Chase - street party - birthday

SW4, The Chase

The birthday was on Saturday 11 June, so we take the date on the plaque to refer to the party.

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Police at Scotland Yard

Police at Scotland Yard

SW1, Whitehall Place, 4

We understand the Public Carriage Office was at this address and it was the back entrance, in Great Scotland Yard, which was used for pol...

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator