Victory over Nazism in the Second World War and Remembrance and Reconciliation Day are celebrated on May 8, as well as International Red Cross and Red Crescent Day, Free Trade Day and Coca-Cola’s birthday. The day is also marked by significant events in human history spanning the fields of politics, religion, science, war, culture and human rights.
Day of Victory over Nazism in the Second World War and Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation
In Europe, May 8 traditionally commemorates the end of one of the most terrible tragedies of the 20th century – the Second World War. This day has a double meaning: it is celebrated as the Day of Victory over Nazism and at the same time as the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation. It is dedicated not only to victory, but also to deep sorrow for the millions of victims who were taken by the global conflict of 1939-1945.
In 2004, the UN General Assembly declared May 8 and 9 the Days of Remembrance and Reconciliation, recognizing on these dates the right of all peoples to honor the victims of war, regardless of which side of the front they were on. Thus, the world community focused not only on heroism, but also on tragedy. On this day, the memory of the civilian population who died during bombings, deportations, genocides, forced labor and hostilities is commemorated.
For Ukraine, this date has acquired special significance. Since 2015, our state has officially joined the European tradition and started celebrating May 8 as the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation. In 2023, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree that May 8 is celebrated as the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in the Second World War, and May 9 becomes Europe Day.
Ukrainians honor not only the millions who died, but also those who fought in the ranks of the Allies against Nazi Germany. Estimates of the total human toll of World War II range from 50 to the most commonly cited 75 million, both military and civilian. From among them, according to estimates, 8 to 10 million are Ukrainians – that is, almost every fourth resident of the then Ukraine, whose population at that time was approximately 40 million people.
Despite the fact that historians still do not agree on the exact number of Ukrainians who died in this war, the fact remains undeniable: millions of people fought against Nazism, and almost every Ukrainian family remembers the loss, suffering and heroism of that time.
Now, in the conditions of a new full-scale war unleashed by Russia, this memory sounds especially acute. Ukraine is once again fighting against an aggressor who cloaks himself in symbols of “victory” but is waging a war of aggression, destroying cities, deporting children, and justifying violence. Therefore, May 8 is not only a day of historical memory, but also a day of actual rethinking of what the victory of 1945 was won for.
Interesting facts
The official date of the end of the Second World War in Europe is May 8, 1945 — the day when Germany’s capitulation took effect at 11:01 p.m. CET (12:01 a.m. Kyiv time). That is why in the USSR it was celebrated on May 9.
The symbol of the Day of Remembrance and Reconciliation is the red poppy — a sign of mourning for the fallen and hope for peace. This symbol comes from the poem “On the Field of Flanders” by Canadian military doctor John McCray.
The war covered 80% of the world’s population and lasted 6 years.
Ukraine was one of the most devastated areas: 720 settlements were wiped off the face of the earth, and 10 million people were left homeless.
The Second World War became the bloodiest in the history of mankind: according to various estimates, from 60 to 85 million people died, more than half of them civilians.
In 1945, the capitulation was signed twice in Berlin: first on May 7 in Reims, and then on May 8 in the Berlin suburb of Karlshorst at Stalin’s insistence.
Today, May 8 is officially celebrated in most countries of Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia and Japan as the day of the end of hostilities in Europe. It is a public holiday in France.
International Day of the Red Cross and Red Crescent
This is a day of humanity, mercy and self-sacrifice. This holiday is dedicated to millions of volunteers and workers of humanitarian organizations, who daily save lives, help victims of armed conflicts, during natural disasters, epidemics and other crises.
The date of the celebration was not chosen by chance – it was on May 8, 1828 that Henri Dunant, a Swiss philanthropist and public figure, who is considered the founder of the International Red Cross Movement, was born. It was he who, after seeing the horror of the Battle of Solferino in 1859, initiated the idea of creating an organization that would help the wounded and civilians regardless of which side of the front they were on. In 1863, the International Committee of the Red Cross was founded, and already in 1864, the first Geneva Convention was adopted.
Henri Dunant became the first recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1901—a recognition of his idea of making humanity a universal moral obligation even in the most inhumane circumstances.
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is today the largest humanitarian network in the world. It includes more than 190 national societies, tens of millions of volunteers, and the principles of its work remain unchanged since Dunant’s time: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntariness, unity and universality.
Interesting facts
The idea of the Red Cross arose after Dunant saw tens of thousands of wounded soldiers without medical care after the Battle of Solferino. He himself organized aid, mobilized local residents and wrote the book “Memories of Solferino”, which became the manifesto of the humanitarian movement.
The symbol of the Red Cross is an inverted flag of Switzerland (a white cross on a red background). Muslim countries use the Red Crescent symbol, while Israel recognizes the Red Crystal symbol.
During the First and Second World Wars, the Red Cross helped prisoners of war, the wounded and civilians, as well as delivered millions of letters between families and camps.
The Ukrainian Red Cross was founded in 1918 and continues to operate today, providing assistance during war, evacuations, shelling, crisis situations and natural disasters.
Today, the international humanitarian mission of the Red Cross is an officially recognized observer in combat zones and one of the few structures that has the right of access to prisoners of war and to hard-to-reach regions during conflicts.
Although Henri Dunant ended his life in poverty and loneliness, his name became a symbol of humanism. And to this day, more than 100 million people around the world benefit from the help that was started by one person.
Free Trade Day
This day is designed to emphasize the importance of open markets, economic cooperation and the elimination of trade barriers. It is not an official public holiday, but it is increasingly recognized among international economists, businesses and governments as an occasion to once again remind about the importance of global dialogue and partnership in the economy.
Free trade is a system in which countries trade with each other without tariffs, quotas, subsidies, or other artificial restrictions. It is based on the principle of mutual benefit: each state can specialize in what it produces most efficiently and exchange it for other goods and services. Supporting free trade means promoting economic growth, expanding consumer choice, lowering prices, stimulating innovation, and improving relations between nations.
The modern global economy is inextricably linked to the concept of free trade. It became the basis of many key international agreements: GATT, WTO, NAFTA, EU, CETA, RCEP and others. Most of the world’s countries develop their economies thanks to participation in global exchange, access to foreign markets, foreign investments and cooperation within trade blocs.
However, free trade has come under pressure in the 21st century: rising waves of protectionism, trade wars, sanctions and political barriers. In these conditions, Free Trade Day takes on a new meaning — as a platform for discussion on how to maintain a balance between national interests and global economic integration, between security and open markets, between fairness and profit.
For Ukraine, which actively promotes the European integration policy and already has a number of free trade agreements (with the EU, Canada, Great Britain, Turkey and other countries), May 8 is another reason to talk about the role of open markets for post-war recovery, export growth, creation of new jobs and investment attraction.
Interesting facts
The first international agreement that laid the foundations for free trade was the Cobden-Chevalier Agreement between Great Britain and France (1860), which reduced tariffs on manufactured goods.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) unites 164 countries and is the main arbiter of free trade rules in the world. Ukraine became its member in 2008.
According to the World Bank, open economies have grown almost twice as fast as closed economies over the past 30 years.
Free trade facilitates the global diffusion of technology, lower production costs, and the development of logistics and supply chains that have become critical during pandemics and war.
At the same time, critics point out that free trade without sufficient social and environmental safeguards can lead to the exploitation of labor, the relocation of production to countries with lower standards, and deepening inequality — hence the growing calls for “fair trade” rather than just “free trade.”
The agreement on the free trade zone between Ukraine and the EU, which entered into force in 2016, has already opened up more than 90% of the European market for Ukrainian goods and has become one of the driving forces behind the growth of Ukrainian exports.
Coca-Cola’s birthday
On May 8, 1886, the brand that later became one of the most recognizable in the world – Coca-Cola – was born in the American city of Atlanta. It was on this day that pharmacist John Stith Pemberton, experimenting with a new syrup to improve digestion and treat headaches, first offered his drink at Jacob’s Pharmacy. He sold the first servings for 5 cents a glass—mixed with soda water—and customers loved it.
The idea of selling carbonated tonic syrup as a refreshing drink quickly gained acceptance. The name “Coca-Cola” was coined by Pemberton’s accountant, Frank Robinson, who also personally created the iconic calligraphic logo, which remains almost unchanged to this day. Pemberton died shortly thereafter, not having time to appreciate the commercial potential of his invention. And the new owner, businessman Asa Kendler, began to scale up production and turned Coca-Cola into a national, and later global, brand.
Today, Coca-Cola is not only a drink, but also a multibillion-dollar corporation that sells its products in more than 200 countries around the world. More than 1.9 billion servings of beverages belonging to Coca-Cola Company brands are drunk in the world per day. For decades, the company has remained at the forefront of advertising technology, mass culture, and even geopolitics — Coca-Cola was one of the first American products to appear in Europe after World War II, and later even in the USSR in the late 1980s.
Interesting facts
Originally, the drink contained coca leaf extract (which contained cocaine), but by 1904, the ingredient had been removed from the recipe and replaced with “decocaineized” leaves.
The recipe for modern Coca-Cola is a trade secret. The company says it is known to only a few people and is kept in a safe in Atlanta.
The contoured bottle, which became the brand’s signature, was patented in 1915. Her form was inspired by the cocoa bean.
Coca-Cola became an official sponsor of the Olympic Games back in 1928 — and remains so today, with one of the longest continuous contracts in sports history.
The drink has been banned in several countries around the world for political or religious reasons, including North Korea and Cuba.
During the Cold War, a special colorless “clear Coke” was brewed for Soviet marshals so that it could be drunk in public without showing Western preferences.
Today, the Coca-Cola Company owns more than 500 beverage brands, including Fanta, Sprite, Bonaqua, Schweppes, Cappy, and many others.
Historical events on this day
1900 — Andrey (Sheptytskyi) was appointed Metropolitan of Lviv. This moment marked the beginning of his many years of spiritual and cultural leadership in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
1919 — The Central Russian People’s Council adopted the Uzhhorod memorandum, in which it announced the decision to join Transcarpathia to Czechoslovakia, determining the region’s geopolitical fate for decades to come.
1926 — For the first time in history, an air flight over the North Pole took place. The flight was led by Roald Amundsen and Umberto Nobile in the Norge airship, paving the way for future Arctic exploration.
1933 — Mahatma Gandhi began a hunger strike as a form of protest against British colonial rule in India, once again demonstrating the power of peaceful resistance.
1943 — The Uprising in the Warsaw Ghetto — a heroic and tragic act of Jewish resistance to Nazism during the Holocaust — ended.
1944 – One of the main executors of the Nazi policy of extermination, Adolf Eichmann, offered to exchange the lives of 1 million Hungarian Jews for 10,000 trucks in an attempt to bargain with the Allies – without success.
1945 — In Karlshorst, a suburb of Berlin, Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel and other representatives of the German command signed the act of Germany’s unconditional surrender for the second time. The document entered into force at 11:01 p.m. CET, ending hostilities in Europe.
1947 — France temporarily withdrew from the International Monetary Fund, protesting against restrictions imposed on its economic policy.
1949 — In Bonn, the Parliamentary Council adopted the “Basic Law” – the actual Constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany, which became the foundation of modern German democracy.
1951 — Ivan Drach announced himself in Ukrainian poetry by publishing his first poem — the beginning of a long and bright creative path.
1954 — The Asian Football Federation was created — an organization that united the countries of the continent within a single sports space.
1959 — In the province of Ontario (Canada), corporal punishment of prisoners has been abolished – a step towards humanizing the system of execution of punishments.
1961 — In Great Britain, diplomat George Blake was sentenced to 42 years in prison for spying for the USSR, becoming a symbol of the Cold War and its intelligence confrontation.
1962 — In London, a trolleybus ran for the last time – the end of an entire era of urban transport in the capital of Great Britain.
1989 — The first issue of Gazeta Wyborcza, which became the leading independent media in Poland after the communist era, was published in Warsaw.
1994 — Azerbaijan officially joined the ceasefire regime in Nagorno-Karabakh, marking the end of the active phase of the war between Yerevan and Baku.
1996 — The constitution of the Republic of South Africa was amended to equalize the rights of representatives of all races. Despite boycotts by Zulu nationalists and white radicals, the document marked the true end of apartheid.
2004 — In Germany, the police detained the 18-year-old creator of the computer virus “Sasser”, which paralyzed thousands of systems around the world and drew attention to cyber security as a new front of the global threat.
2021 — A car bomb explosion near a school in the Afghan capital, Kabul, killed at least 55 people, most of whom were schoolgirls. More than 150 people were injured, a tragedy that shook the international community.
