VE Day 60th anniversary commemorated across Europe & USA
{{date|May 8, 2005}}
{{missing image|Image:D-day battle order.jpg|thumb|right|220px|Archive picture of D-day battle order.}}
[[Image:Paris Arc de Triomphe DSC03085.JPG|thumb|right|220px|The Arc de Triomphe during the May 8, 2005, celebrations]]
[[Image:Chirac Aillot-Marie 8 mai 2005 DSC03200.JPG|thumb|right|220px|Jacques Chirac and other officials]]
The 60th anniversary of {{w|Victory in Europe Day}} has been commemorated Sunday across [[Europe]] and the {{w|USA}}.

* In [[Germany]]: {{w|President of Germany}} {{w|Horst Köhler}} and {{w|Chancellor of Germany|Chancellor}} {{w|Gerhard Schröder}} attended a service at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in {{w|Berlin}} and a wreath-laying ceremony at the main Soviet war memorial.  VE Day is commemorated as Democracy Day in Germany, as Germans consider it to be the day when they, too, were liberated from {{w|Nazism}}.
* In the [[United Kingdom]]: 
** {{w|Charles, Prince of Wales|Prince Charles}}, wearing his uniform of {{w|Vice Admiral}} in the {{w|Royal Navy}}, laid a commemorative wreath at the [[wikt:Cenotaph|Cenotaph]].  {{w|Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth}} is scheduled to attend the main commemorative ceremony to be held on July 10, 2005.
** At 19:00 UTC a Dakota DC3, from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight based at RAF Coningsby, flew over the Palace of Westminster, Whitehall, and Trafalgar Square to mark the beginning of a televised BBC VE Day concert.
* In [[France]]: {{w|President of France}} [[Jacques Chirac]] laid a memorial wreath at the {{w|Tomb of the Unknown Soldier}} at the {{w|Arc de Triomphe}}.
* In the [[Netherlands]]: {{w|President of the United States}} {{w|George W. Bush}} and Queen {{w|Beatrix of the Netherlands}} attended a memorial ceremony at a United States military cemetery near {{w|Maastricht}}, where the {{w|Last Post}} was sounded.
* In {{w|Croatia}}: {{w|President of Croatia}} {{w|Stjepan Mesić}} gave a controversial speech at a commemorative celebration of victory over fascism in {{w|Zagreb}}, starting with "Comrades, ladies and gentlemen." He said that {{w|Independent State of Croatia|NDH}}, a [[World War Two]] Croatian state, was "founded on crime" and is "a discrace and an insult to Croats." The role of {{w|Ustaše}} and {{w|Partisans (Yugoslavia)|Partisans}} during the World War Two is still a point of debate in Croatia.
* In the United States: Former Sen. {{w|Bob Dole}} spoke during a Sunday ceremony commemorating the anniversary of allied victory in Europe, May 8, 1945. The ceremony was held near the {{w|National World War II Memorial}} in {{w|Washington, D.C}}.

The 60th anniversary of {{w|Victory Day}} is scheduled to be celebrated in {{w|Russia}}, and other successor states of the {{w|Soviet Union}}, on May 9, 2005.

== Related news ==
* {{wikinews|title=Anti-Bush protest in Amsterdam|date=May 8, 2005}}

== Sources ==
* {{source|
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk./1/hi/uk/4525761.stm|
title=Prince lays wreath to mark VE Day|
author=|
pub=BBC News|
date=May 8, 2005}}
* {{source|
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk./1/hi/world/europe/4526351.stm|
title=Europe honours war dead on VE Day|
author=|
pub=BBC News|
date=May 8, 2005}}
* {{source|
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk./1/hi/uk/4527529.stm|
title=Thousands mark VE Day across UK|
author=|
pub=BBC News|
date=May 8, 2005}}
* {{source|
url=http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/05/08/bush.europe/index.html|
title=Bush honors World War II dead|
author=|
pub=CNN.com|
date=May 8, 2005}}
* {{source|
url=http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/05/08/veday.sunday.ap/index.html|
title=Europe marks 60 years since WWII|
author=|
pub=CNN.com|
date=May 8, 2005}}
* {{source|
url=http://www.novilist.hr/Default.asp?WCI=Rubrike&WCU=28602863285D2863285A28582858285D286328962897289E286328632859285C2859285E2859285A28632863286328582863I|
title=Mesic: Without the communisty party there wouldn't be antifascism (in Croatian)|
author=|
pub=Novi List|
date=May 8, 2005}}
*{{source|
url=http://www.defenselink.mil/news/May2005/20050508_938.html|
title=A Grateful Nation Honors World War II Vets on V-E Day|
author=Samantha L. Quigley|
pub=United States Department of Defense|
date=May 8, 2005}}

{{publish}}
{{archive}}

[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:Germany]]
[[Category:United Kingdom]]
[[Category:France]]
[[Category:Netherlands]]
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Jacques Chirac]]
[[Category:World War II]]
[[Category:Whitehall]]
The Arc de Triomphe during the May 8, 2005, celebrations
Jacques Chirac and other officials
The 60th anniversary of USA.

* In Germany: Horst Köhler and Chancellor Berlin and a wreath-laying ceremony at the main Soviet war memorial.  VE Day is commemorated as Democracy Day in Germany, as Germans consider it to be the day when they, too, were liberated from .
* In the United Kingdom: 
** Prince Charles, wearing his uniform of Royal Navy, laid a commemorative wreath at the Cenotaph.  Queen Elizabeth is scheduled to attend the main commemorative ceremony to be held on July 10, 2005.
** At 19:00 UTC a Dakota DC3, from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight based at RAF Coningsby, flew over the Palace of Westminster, Whitehall, and Trafalgar Square to mark the beginning of a televised BBC VE Day concert.
* In France: Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the .
* In the Netherlands: George W. Bush and Queen Maastricht, where the  was sounded.
* In President of Croatia Zagreb, starting with "Comrades, ladies and gentlemen." He said that NDH, a World War Two Croatian state, was "founded on crime" and is "a discrace and an insult to Croats." The role of Partisans (Yugoslavia)|Partisans during the World War Two is still a point of debate in Croatia.
* In the United States: Former Sen. National World War II Memorial in .

The 60th anniversary of Russia, and other successor states of the , on May 9, 2005.
Europe Germany United Kingdom France Netherlands Politics and conflicts Jacques Chirac World War II Whitehall