America 250: D-Day

The sacrifice of thousands of Americans on the beaches of Normandy helped turn the tide of World War II.

On June 6, 1944, approximately 156,000 Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, France. Nearly half of them were American. The invasion involved more than 7,000 naval vessels and over 11,000 aircraft. It remains the largest amphibious military operation in history. Allied forces suffered more than 10,000 casualties, including 2,501 Americans killed and thousands more from other nations. Their sacrifice helped turn the tide of World War II and led to the defeat of Nazi Germany less than a year later. Today, the invasion is commemorated annually in Normandy, as the number of surviving veterans, now around 100 years old, continues to decline.