VE Day 75
Friday 8 May 2020 marks 75 years since Nazi Germany's formal surrender towards the end of the Second World War.
On VE (Victory in Europe) Day in 1945, millions took to the streets to celebrate peace after years of devastating war.
Join us in exploring some of the remarkable stories from this chapter in history, and find out how you can get involved in the commemorations at home.
Dance for VE Day
Sadly, our plans to support street parties across England with swing dancing to mark the 75th anniversary of VE day have been delayed as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak.
Instead, we are encouraging everyone to mark the anniversary with their own VE Day celebration at home, and our VE Day 75 pack includes 1940s recipes, dance steps and even a Spotify playlist to help you plan.
Those communities whose applications to Dance for VE Day were successful have been contacted to invite them to defer this activity to a later date.
VE Day at home packMark VE Day 75 in your own home
In our VE Day pack, you'll find everything you need to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day in your own home.
Our pack includes a selection of tasty recipes, tips for dancing Lindy Hop style, a Spotify playlist and popular 1940s songs to sing with your family.
Download the Pack9 Things You Should Know About VE Day
30 April 1945. Allied troops are closing in and Berlin is all but surrounded. The leader of Nazi Germany, Adolf Hitler, is left contemplating inevitable defeat.
He commits suicide in his underground bunker. In the days that follow, Hitler's successor—Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz—negotiates an end to war, and in the early hours of 7 May 1945 Germany's unconditional surrender to the Allies is signed. After nearly six long years of carnage and destruction, the war in Europe is coming to an end.
Here are the 9 things you should know about that fateful day and its impact on the world.
Read MoreVE Day in Pictures
See some of the most iconic photographs from VE Day.
From parties in the streets to thousands of revellers gathered outside Buckingham Palace, we've selected our favourite images that capture VE Day celebrations in England.
Explore the imagesLived in London
Blue Plaques commemorating soldiers of WWII
Explore more Armed Forces Blue Plaques-
Sir Douglas Bader
RAF Fighter Pilot
As Flight Commander in No.222 Squadron, Bader supported the Dunkirk evacuation. He was later captured and imprisoned at Colditz.
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Martha Gellhorn
War Correspondent
Reported from France, England, Czechoslovakia, Finland and the Far East, even stowing away on a hospital ship to avoid detection.
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Field Marshal Viscount Gort V.C.
Commander-in-Chief at Dunkirk
John Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort, commanded the British Expeditionary Force which was evacuated from Dunkirk under Operation Dynamo.
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Guy Gibson V.C.
Pilot, Leader of the Dambusters Raid
Wing Commander Guy Gibson led the famous Dambusters Raid that used a specially-designed 'bouncing bomb' to target German dams in May 1943.
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Violette Szabo, G.C.
Secret Agent
Operative for the French section of the Special Operations Executive and the first British woman to be awarded the George Cross.
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General Charles De Gaulle
Post-War French Leader
Provisional leader of France from 1944 to 1946 in the aftermath of German occupation, helping the country to form a new government.
A Century of The Cenotaph
Originally erected as a temporary memorial for Peace Day at the end of the First World War, the Cenotaph on London's Whitehall was so popular that it was replaced by a permanent structure.
100 years after the stone column was built, join historians Dr Steven Brindle and Dr Lucy Noakes to discover the story of this now-iconic war memorial.
Listen on SoundcloudOperation Dynamo: Rescue from Dunkirk, 1940
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Interview with Benjamin Richard Sheen, Dunkirk War Veteran
We met former Army Signalman and Operation Dynamo veteran Richard Sheen at his home in West Wales to discover the true story of the Dunkirk Rescue that was masterminded from the secret war tunnels deep below Dover Castle.
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Dover Castle: Rescue from Dunkirk
The evacuation of Dunkirk was a race against time, won in just ten short days in 1940. With limited technology and resources, Vice Admiral Bertram Ramsey masterminded the rescue of 338,000 troops from his Naval HQ in the tunnels below Dover Castle.
Stand Where It Happened
Historic places with WWII connections
Explore more historic places-
Dover Castle
Medieval castle whose secret tunnels were used to command the Dunkirk evacuation.
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Pendennis Castle
Coastal fort built by Henry VIII which remained active through both World Wars.
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St Mawes Castle
The smaller 'sibling' of Pendennis, part of Henry VIII's extensive string of coastal artillery fortresses, reoccupied at the outbreak of war in 1939.
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Hurst Castle
Tudor artillery fortress which played an active role in both world wars, active until 1956.
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Eltham Palace and Gardens
1930s Art Deco mansion which became the base of the Royal Army Educational Corps (RAEC) from 1944.
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Audley End House and Gardens
Jacobean mansion and training centre for the Polish Special Operations Executive, commemorated with a memorial in the grounds.
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Tilbury Fort
Large coastal fort which protected the Thames estuary from the 16th century through to the Second World War.
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Pevensey Castle
Famous for being William the Conqueror's landing place in 1066, but occupied again in 1940 as France fell to Nazi invasion.
Join the Nation's Toast
On 8 May, as the nation marks 75 years since the end of the Second World War in Europe, we are all invited to raise a toast to all those men and women who played their part in the conflict.
At 3pm on Bank Holiday Friday, wherever you find yourselves, join the whole nation in raising a glass or cup of tea to our nation’s heroes. Find out more at www.veday75.org
Try out this WWII inspired makeup look
Join us in Dover Castle’s wartime tunnels as we show you the important role the humble makeup kit played during the Second World War.
Watch on YouTubeExplore more
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English Heritage Histories
Delve into our history pages to discover more about our sites, how they have changed over time, and who made them what they are today.
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Women in history
Read about the remarkable lives of some of the women who have left their mark on society and shaped our way of life – from Anglo-Saxon times to the 20th century.
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Eight Myths About Witchcraft
Professor Diane Purkiss tackles the common misconceptions about witchcraft and the witch trials of the 16th and 17th centuries.
