On 7 May 1945 the formal act of military surrender was signed by Germany, ending the war in Europe. The next day celebrations broke out all over the world to mark Victory in Europe or VE Day. In Britain, Churchill marked the occasion by declaring 8 May a public holiday. People held parties, danced and sang in the streets. Huge crowds gathered in London, both on Whitehall to hear Churchill speak and outside Buckingham Palace where King George VI and the Royal Family appeared on the balcony.
For many though, the celebrations were bitter-sweet. People mourned their lost friends and loved ones, while others were still engaged in combat, as the war in the Far East continued.
Here are 10 photos of some the celebrations that took place that day in London.
1. Truck Ride on the Strand
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| Revelers ride a truck along the Strand in London. |
2. Dancing in the Streets
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| Soldiers and civilians dance on a street near Berkeley Square in London. |
3. Party in Piccadilly Circus
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| A mass of civilians and servicemen crowd around Piccadilly Circus in London. |
4. Children on VE Day
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| Two small girls wave their flags in the rubble of Battersea. |
5. In the Fountains at Trafalgar Square
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| Two British sailors and their girlfriends wading in the fountains in Trafalgar Square on VE Day. |
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| Men and women dance the conga around a bonfire in East Acton, London on the evening of VE Day. |
7. Celebrations Outside the Houses of Parliament
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| Revelers give the 'V for Victory' sign as they celebrate outside the Houses of Parliament. |
8. Gathering to See Churchil
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| Churchill waves to crowds in Whitehall on the day he broadcast to the nation that the war against Germany had been won, 8 May 1945 (VE Day). |
9. V for Victory
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| Ground crew on a RAF Bomber Command station in Britain return the 'V for Victory' sign to a neighbouring searchlight crew. Silhouetted is the nose of a Lancaster bomber. |
10. Crowds in Whitehall
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| A color photo of the crowd in front of the Ministry of Health building in Whitehall. Churchill addressed the crowd from the balcony. |
(via Imperial War Museums)