Today is the 70th Anniversary of Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day) and it’s a great day to thank a veteran.
V-E Day is a public holiday celebrated May 8 that marks the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Nazi German’s unconditional surrender of its armed forces.
In other words, it marks the end of World War 11, and from Moscow to Los Angeles, people are celebrating.
On this day in 1945, more than a million people celebrated in the streets of the United Kingdom to mark the end of the European part of the war. In London, crowds massed in Trafalgar Square and to Buckingham Palace, where King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, accompanied by Prime Minister Winston Churchill, appeared on the balcony of the palace before cheering crowds.
In the United States, the victory happened on President Harry Truman’s 61st birthday. He dedicated the victory to the memory of his predecessor, Franklin D. Roosevelt, who had died of cerebral hemorrhage less than a month earlier.
“My only wish is that Frank D. Roosevelt had lived to witness this day,” Truman said.
Later that day, Truman said that the victory made it his most enjoyable birthday.
Massive celebrations also took place in Chicago, Los Angeles, St. Louis, and especially in New York’s Times Square.
Take a minute today to thank a veteran and celebrate this victorious day with a toast and a salute.
