The End of WWII and Beyond: 31 Vintage Photos That Show What Life Was Really Like in 1945

Written by Rachel Schneider on June 2, 2025

A large, jubilant crowd celebrates outdoors at night, waving hats, hands, and American flags. Some people hold newspapers with bold headlines, their faces lit with excitement and joy.

War is over! As the dust settled and soldiers returned home, everyday moments and historic milestones were captured on film, freezing a year that reshaped the course of history. Of course, the end of the war wasn’t the only thing going on in 1945. These photos represent one of America’s most iconic years, featuring images from Hollywood stars to daily activities like grocery shopping.

1. Getting Chummy With Albert Einstein

An older man with white, wild hair and a mustache holds a pipe while standing outdoors next to a young woman with dark, wavy hair. Both are smiling, wearing coats, and are in a sunlit, wooded area. — OGnilla

2. American Soldiers Coming Home from War

A packed ship deck filled with hundreds of people, tightly crowded together, most wearing similar clothing, as the vessel sails on the ocean. — derawin07

3. Navy Musician Graham Jackson as Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Funeral Train Passes By

A uniformed man plays an accordion outdoors while several people stand or sit behind him, some looking somber or thoughtful. The scene appears to be from the mid-20th century. — Zack

4. Dutch Resistance Members Celebrating the News of Hitler’s Death

Four people sit and laugh around a cluttered table. One person holds up a radio, another points at a map on the wall. The scene appears joyful and lively, with mugs and a candle on the table. — Petaaa

5. Just a Dad and His Baby

A man in a suit sits on the front bumper of a vintage car, holding a baby dressed in white. An old building and another classic car are visible in the background. The photo appears to be from the mid-20th century. — crimenently

6. World War II Welder

A young woman wearing goggles, gloves, and work clothes operates a torch, with flames visible, while sitting outdoors near industrial equipment under a blue sky. — charles_yost

7. Keeping the Animals at the Berlin Zoo Safe as Soviet Troops Approached

A woman in vintage clothes stands in a bathroom, feeding a large bird resembling a shoebill. The room is untidy, with a bathtub, a sink, and debris on the floor. — 9999monkeys

8. Teenage Shirley Temple Standing Next to a Childhood Portrait of Herself

A young woman in an orange dress holds a small dog, standing in front of a large portrait of a curly-haired girl in a black dress with a dog at her side. The woman and the girl in the portrait look similar. — vingins

9. Tuskegee Airmen in Italy

A group of Tuskegee Airmen in brown leather flight jackets and caps sit and stand together indoors, appearing focused and attentive, with maps on the wall behind them. — UserDeleted

10. Brooklyn Students Protesting the ‘No Pants’ Rule at School

A group of young people, mostly women, stand and smile together outside by a metal fence. They wear 1940s-style clothing, including high-waisted pants, blouses, coats, and headscarves, in a casual, candid setting. — UserDeleted

11. Easy Company After Capturing Hitler’s Nest

A group of men in military uniforms relax outdoors on chairs and benches, smiling and talking, with snowy mountain peaks and a scenic valley visible in the background. Drinks and bottles are on a table in front of them. — UserDeleted

12. Judy Garland With Baby Liza Minnelli

A woman with wavy brown hair and red lipstick smiles while holding a baby in a white dress. They are sitting on a patterned couch with light-colored cushions. — DrCutiepants

13. Actress Marlene Dietrich Kissing an American Soldier, Returning to New York from the War

A woman in a red dress is lifted by two soldiers so she can kiss a shirtless man leaning out of a train window, while others watch and smile in a crowded, vintage setting. — gotmyvitamins

14. Winston Churchill Sitting on the Burned Remains of Hitler’s Armchair

A group of military officers in uniform stand around a seated officer, who is smiling and holding a cane, in a rubble-strewn, damaged building. Exposed rebar and debris cover the ground. — BedrockPerson

15. Franklin D. Roosevelt on the Day of His Death

An older man in a suit and tie sits in an armchair, facing the camera. Bookshelves and a couch are visible in the blurred background. The photo is in black and white. — eli5708

16. Norma Jeane Before She Became Marilyn Monroe

A young woman in a vintage dress stands outside in a field, smiling and holding a small lamb. Sheep graze in the background under a partly cloudy sky. — UserDeleted

17. A Soldier with Shirley Temple at His Purple Heart Ceremony

A smiling nurse in uniform stands beside a man in a hospital gown sitting in a wheelchair, looking up at her. Several uniformed men stand in the background, partially in shadow. — Dlids

18. Sailors Exhausted After Celebrating the End of the War

Two sailors in uniform sleep on a city sidewalk amid litter, one holding a newspaper with a large "PEACE!" headline; an empty bottle sits nearby on the curb. — X0AN

19. The Real Hacksaw Ridge Hero, Desmond Thomas Doss, With His Wife

A smiling woman in a navy blue outfit stands next to a smiling man in a World War II-era military uniform, both posing in front of a U.S. flag and the White House. The man wears medals on his jacket. — jecinci

20. Brother and Sister in Chicago

Two young Black children dressed formally in vintage clothing stand side by side on a sidewalk. The boy holds a hat and wears a suit with knickerbockers, while the girl wears a coat with a heart-shaped purse and a bow in her hair. — TheMoralMaster

21. Discovering the Mona Lisa After the War

A person unwraps a framed painting, revealing the famous portrait of the Mona Lisa partially covered by protective cloth and paper. Only the top half of the artwork and the person’s hands are visible. — Lowcrbnaman

22. The 92nd Infantry ‘Buffalo Soldiers’

Six African American soldiers in World War II uniforms sit in a trench, some wearing helmets. One soldier, smiling, holds a pipe in his mouth. Trees and sky are visible in the background. — sayknow

23. Easter Eggs for Hitler

Two African American soldiers in WWII uniforms smile; one kneels by artillery shells labeled "Easter Eggs for Hitler," while the other holds a shell inscribed "Happy Easter Adolph." Trees and equipment are in the background. — UserDeleted

24. Our Beloved Betty White

A woman with short curly hair, wearing a red plaid shirt and dark pants, sits relaxed against hay bales, holding a wooden pitchfork. She looks off to the side with a slight smile. — TheStormbrewer

25. Princess Elizabeth Serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service at Age 18

A young woman in military uniform stands in front of an army ambulance vehicle, with another military vehicle in the background. The setting appears to be outdoors, possibly on a military base, during World War II. — superstoreman

26. Jimmy Stewart Making a Call at His Father’s Hardware Store

Three men in a store: one in work clothes speaks to a man in a vest behind the counter, while a uniformed officer sits on the counter using a telephone. An American flag and war-themed poster are visible in the background. — Less-Conclusion5817

27. American Soldier Replacing a Street Sign in Germany

A smiling soldier in uniform and helmet stands by a damaged building, holding a street sign reading "Adolf-Hitler-Str." next to another sign labeled "Roosevelt Blvd." The scene shows war-torn ruins in the background. — UserDeleted

28. Dressed to Impress for Grocery Shopping

A woman in a 1940s-style suit and hat shops for crackers in a grocery store while a young child sits in a shopping cart. Shelves behind them are filled with various boxes and tins. — OyVeyzMeir

29. Daddy’s Home!

A man in military uniform smiles and opens his arms to embrace a young girl running toward him with outstretched arms in a garden, suggesting a joyful reunion. — UserDeleted

30. Norma Jeane at the Beach

A woman in a yellow bikini stands on a beach, smiling and tying a green scarf around her hair. The sky is clear and blue, and she appears happy and relaxed. — tacchassen

31. Herman Shine, Auschwitz Escapee and Holocaust Survivor

A black and white portrait of a young man with short dark hair, wearing a suit and tie, smiling slightly and looking to the right. — SorosShockTrooper

Looking for more historical photos?

Check out 15 Photos of the 1929 Stock Market Crash and the Desperation It Caused and 15 Haunting Photos of the 1930s Dust Bowl. You might also be interested in 19 Photos From the ‘Golden Age’ of Factory Work.