8 May 2020
VE Day

75 years ago on 8 May 1945 we celebrated Victory in Europe, after almost 6 years of war Britain and its Allies formally accept Nazi Germany’s surrender. 

75 years ago on 8 May 1945 we celebrated Victory in Europe, after almost 6 years of war Britain and its Allies formally accept Nazi Germany’s surrender. 

It is a sombre day as we remember all those who died, the sacrifice of the 384,000 British soldiers, along with 100,000s of men and women who died while serving in Commonwealth and Allied forces. We owe so much to this generation. 

I realise that many of us are not able to commemorate this day in the usual way, so I have linked below a timetable for events taking place today that you can join in with from home. 

VE Day

  • Observe the two minutes’ silence at 11am on the 8th May, joining their neighbours in standing on their doorsteps or in their window to mark the moment of remembrance.
  • Tune in to the BBC to watch the VE Day 75 special broadcasts which will include extracts from Churchill’s famous victory speech and Her Majesty The Queen addressing the nation at 9pm.
  • Take part in the national singalong of Dame Vera Lynn’s ‘We’ll Meet Again’. Members of the public are being encouraged to open their doors and join in safely.
  • If they have children, take part in the creative activities including making bunting and posters to decorate their homes and display them in their front windows using the toolkit on the Government website: https://ve-vjday75.gov.uk/
  • Hold a 1940s style afternoon tea party at home with those in their household, complete with homemade VE Day bunting, original recipes, games, and educational and creative activities for children using the template pack available online via the website above.
  • Print off a ‘Thank You’ card from the toolkit on our website and post a message of thanks to the Second World War generation on their social media channels.
  • Research their family history using Ancestry.co.uk who will be making their resources available for free between 4-10 May and share their stories online.
  • Historian Dan Snow has set a VE Day challenge for young people, members of the public can use the link on our dedicated website: https://ve-vjday75.gov.uk/get-involved/ to access the challenge.
  • Dan Snow will also host a daily history lesson on different aspects of the Second World War live on YouTube for children from Monday 4 May at 11am each morning on his History Hit YouTube channel, which DCMS will share on social media.