On May 8, 1945, in Berlin, representatives of the allied countries and the German government signed an act of unconditional surrender of Germany. From that moment on, the victory over German fascism was officially recorded in the history of mankind. Great celebrations took place across Europe and North America to officially recognize the Allies’ formal acceptance of the unconditional surrender of German armed forces. In London over a million people celebrated Victory in Europe (VE) Day. In the United States, President Harry Truman, who celebrated his 61st birthday that same day, dedicated the victory to his predecessor, Franklin D. Roosevelt, who had died less than a month earlier on April 12th.