Today marks the 80th anniversary of the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France during World War II, the largest amphibious assault in history. President Joe Biden and dozens of heads of state are slated to attend commemorations along a 50-mile stretch of northern France. Nearly 200 veterans, whose average age is 100, will be present.
Operation Overlord was the Allies' bid to open up a second front in the war against Nazi Germany. Early on June 6, 1944, roughly 13,000 paratroopers parachuted behind entrenched enemy lines ahead of the 135,000 US, British, and Canadian soldiers who later landed on the beaches of Normandy. Over 4,400 troops were killed that day—including 2,501 Americans—with over 73,000 lost in the ensuing monthlong Battle of Normandy. The invasion, alongside the Soviet Union's push from the East, helped seal the defeat of Nazi Germany a year later.
French President Emmanuel Macron will also commemorate the roughly 20,000 French civilians killed during the Allied bombardment and battle.
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