D-Day

D-Day was one of the biggest battles in World War II. It happened on June 6, 1944. On that day, Allied soldiers landed on the beaches of Normandy in France. They came to free Europe from Nazi control. More than 150,000 soldiers took part.

The Big Plan

The Allies were countries like the United States, Britain, and Canada. They spent months planning the attack in secret. Thousands of ships, planes, and tanks were ready. The soldiers landed on five beaches in France. The plan was called Operation Overlord.

A Turning Point

The fight on the beaches was very hard. Many soldiers were hurt or killed before they could reach the sand. But the Allies pushed through and took the beaches. Over the next year, they moved across Europe. D-Day helped lead to the end of World War II in 1945.

Fun Facts

• The 'D' in D-Day stands for 'Day' — it is a military term for the day an attack starts.
• The code names for the five beaches were Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword.
• Bad weather almost caused D-Day to be canceled.

Did You Know?

Today, the beaches of Normandy have memorials and museums that honor the brave soldiers who fought on D-Day.