Britain celebrated Victory in Europe Day (VE Day) on 8 May 1945 after Nazi Germany surrendered, thus ending the Second World War in Europe.

The public holiday saw more than a million people in the streets across Britain celebrating the end to the European theatre of the conflict, with many thronging outside Buckingham Palace to see King George VI and Prime Minister Winston Churchill wave to the crowds.

To mark the 70th anniversary of VE Day, the Imperial War Museum has released amazing colour footage of the celebrations on the day. The two-minute video shows ticker-tape being released from the windows of London's buildings, crowds climbing atop the lions of Trafalgar Square and soldiers frolicking with their sweethearts in the nearby fountains.

Footage courtesy of the Imperial War Museum

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