To mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day (Victory in Europe Day), a two-minute national silence will be observed across the UK at noon today. The silence marks a moment of reflection and gratitude for those who fought and sacrificed for the nation’s freedom during World War II. All UK Government departments will participate in the silence and fly the Union Flag at full mast.
But why is it a two-minute silence when a one-minute silence is more commonly observed for many commemorations in other countries? The two-minute silence originated after World War I and became a tradition for commemorating major wartime sacrifices in the UK and other countries within the Commonwealth.
This format was carried over to VE Day and Remembrance Day to honour those who served and suffered in the world wars.
The first minute is to honour the millions who died or were wounded, and the second minute is seen as a tribute to those who survived, including the families and communities that were forever changed by the war.
The practice is said to have begun in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1918, where a daily two-minute silence was held to mark both thanksgiving for those who survived and remembrance of those who had fallen.
Sir Percy FitzPatrick, whose son was killed in WWI, proposed the two-minute silence to the British government.
King George V officially endorsed the idea, and on November 11, 1919, the UK and the Commonwealth observed the first nationwide two-minute silence on Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of World War 1.
For VE Day 2025, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe, the UK is continuing this tradition with a two-minute silence at 12 on Thursday, May 8, as a national act of remembrance.