Elbe Day. 80 years ago, on April 25, 1945, Soviet and Western Allied troops met at the Elbe River, near Torgau in Germany, marking an important step toward the end of World War II in Europe.

Even though the orders for the Soviet and American units didn’t anticipate contact on that historical day in, this monumental meeting during World War II marked an iconic moment for these members of the allied forces, paving a way toward the end of the war.