Goodbye, Europe

The Brexit divorce was made official at the stroke of 11 p.m. local time (6 p.m. ET), with the image of a countdown clock projected onto Prime Minister Boris Johnson's official residence, No. 10 Downing St.

With a population of more than 513 million, the E.U. has its roots in the years after World War II, created partly from a desire to ensure no such conflict could ever happen again. It is one of a handful of institutions that have come to define the postwar consensus and even the West itself — but a pact that in recent years has been put under extreme strain.

For the U.K., a powerful empire stretching across the world less than a century ago, Brexit is a historic milestone in its modern history, set to define its new alliances in a rapidly shifting geopolitical landscape. But even some supporters see it as a huge gamble.

In a recorded speech, the prime minister sought to help heal a deeply divided nation.

Britain is free from its 47s of year captivity in Europe.  It just proves that underneath all those layers of liberal socialism the heart of a lion still beats on.

Brexit’s done. The UK has left the European Union