On June 6, 1944, the world witnessed the commencement of Operation Overlord, famously known as D-Day.
This pivotal day marks the largest seaborne invasion in history, as nearly 160,000 Allied troops crossed the English Channel to invade Normandy, France.
Operation Neptune, the assault phase, involved about 5,000 landing and assault craft, 289 escort vessels, and 277 minesweepers.
By the end of the day, Allied forces had secured five beachheads and began their advance inland, marking a significant turning point in World War II.
Especially in France, but all over the Western world, D-Day is honored as a singular reminder of the courage and sacrifice it took to stop the spread of the Third Reich's war machine and free Europe from the Nazi party.