See Photos of Jubilant V-E Day Celebrations in New York City
See Photos of Jubilant V-E Day Celebrations in New York City
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Caption from LIFE. A "Hitler," who is really Bill Eckert of Merchant Marine with hair over his eyes, is throttled by celebrating passers-by.Tony Linck—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images
When news came on May 7, 1945, that the Nazis had surrendered and the war in Europe was over, cities across the globe played host to raucous celebrations.
The original V-E Day, or Victory in Europe Day—which is commemorated on May 7 in Great Britain and Commonwealth territories and on May 8 in the U.S.—was particularly colorful in New York City. And though the photographs LIFE captured are in black and white, they pulse with the energy of revelry. LIFE described the mood in Manhattan:
The nation could feel proud of itself for the way it acted when the big news came on Monday, May 7. There was a little cheering, a little drinking and a few prayers. There was a great sense of relief and of a dedication to the job ahead. Only in New York was there a real hullabaloo. There wild street celebrations were whitened by snowstorms of paper cascading from buildings in Times Square, Wall Street and Rockefeller Center. Ships on the rivers let go with their sirens. Workers in the garment center threw bales of rayons, silks and woolens into the streets to drape passing cars with bright-colored cloth. Then the workers swarmed out of their shops, singing and dancing, drinking whisky out of bottles, wading in their own weird confetti.
The war, of course, would continue in the Pacific until the surrender of Japan that August, following the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. But for one day, at least, revelers would celebrate this critical milestone.
Liz Ronk, who edited this gallery, is the Photo Editor for LIFE.com. Follow her on Twitter at @LizabethRonk.
Caption from LIFE. Some 500,000 celebrants swarm into Times Square the morning of May 7 after the A.P. announcement that Germany had surrendered. Over a public-address system Mayor Laguardia told all to go home or return to their jobs.Herbert Gehr—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesCaption from LIFE. A "Hitler," who is really Bill Eckert of Merchant Marine with hair over his eyes, is throttled by celebrating passers-by.Tony Linck—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty ImagesCaption from LIFE. On top of a traffic light another celebrant perches precariously, waving an American flag and a paper telling of Nazi surrender.Tony Linck—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty ImagesCaption from LIFE. A Hitler dummy, with dagger in its heart and a Japanese flag on its chest, is exhibited on Eighth Avenue lamppost.Fritz Goro—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesCaption from LIFE. Torn paper flutters downward to plaza in Rockefeller center.Tony Linck—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty ImagesA celebratory kiss on the cheek during V-E Day celebrations in New York City.Tony Linck—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty ImagesCaption from LIFE. In Wall Street ticker tape fell on crowds below. All vehicular traffic was shut off outside Stock Exchange. Stocks reacted by closing slightly lower on the day's trading.Andreas Feininger—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesPeople read newspapers telling of Nazi surrender during V-E Day rally.Andreas Feininger—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesVendor selling American flags amidst the gathering crowd in Times Square to celebrate news that the war in Europe has ended. Tony Linck—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty ImagesV-E Day celebrations in New York City.Andreas Feininger—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesV-E Day celebrations in New York CityAndreas Feininger—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesThe clean-up.Andreas Feininger—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesNighttime crowd in Times Square celebrating end of the war in Europe in front of lighted replica of the Statue of Liberty.Tony Linck—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images
