A brief history of D-Day

In the early morning hours of D-Day, June 6, 1944, Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, to liberate Europe from Hitler’s Germany.

Nine allied nations, consisting of over 150,000 troops, assembled on the beach that day. They were met with heavy resistance from German troops, who were waiting on top of nearby cliffs.

According to the National D-Day Memorial Foundation, 23,000 paratroopers from the U.S. and Great Britain were dropped by aircraft and gliders. More than 5,000 ships were also used to support the invasion, also called “Operation Overlord.”

By daylight, the beach was under Allied control.

Within the next five days, the Allies brought over 326,000 troops, 54,000 vehicles and 104,000 tons of supplies to the area for the military operation, according to the D-Day Museum & Overlord Embroidery.

Allied forces suffered nearly 10,000 casualties, and more than 4,000 were dead by the end of the battle.

During a national broadcast as the Normandy invasion was getting underway, President Franklin D. Roosevelt didn't mention the military operation. But in his national address the next day the president spoke about the invasion and asked for prayer.