World War II officially ended on May 8, 1945, with the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany. But not everyone lived long enough to celebrate victory.
Some soldiers died just minutes before ceasefires took effect, while others were killed after their countries had already surrendered. Even decades later, the war continued claiming lives through lingering injuries and weapons that were left behind.
From the final casualties on Europe’s battlefields to the victims who died generations afterward, read on to see the remarkable and often heartbreaking stories of the people who lost their lives in the closing chapters of history’s deadliest conflict.