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D-Day Timeline

(June 6, 1944)

D-Day refers to June 6, 1944, when Allied forces launched Operation Overlord, the largest seaborne invasion in history. Troops from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and other Allies stormed five beaches in Normandy, France—Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword—beginning the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi occupation during World War II. Less

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Planning and Diplomacy

Stalin presses Allies for a second front

Jun 1941

After the German Army invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin began pressing his new Western allies for the creation of a second front in western Europe to relieve pressure on the Eastern Front.

Naval planning legacy from earlier invasions

1942 - 1943

The naval commander responsible for D-Day planning had also been responsible for the naval planning of the invasion of North Africa in 1942, and one of the two fleets carrying troops for the invasion of Sicily the following year, experience that proved invaluable for Overlord.

Image source: Operation Torch

Naval planning legacy from earlier invasions

Churchill persuades Roosevelt against 1942 invasion

1942

Despite the joint announcement, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill persuaded US President Franklin D. Roosevelt that an immediate cross-Channel invasion was not feasible, delaying the opening of a second front in western Europe.

Soviet-American joint announcement on second front

May 1942

In late May 1942, the Soviet Union and the United States made a joint announcement that a full understanding was reached with regard to the urgent tasks of creating a second front in Europe in 1942.

Image source: Normandy landings

Soviet-American joint announcement on second front

Invasion date set for 1 May 1944

1943

The Allies originally planned to launch the invasion of Normandy on 1 May 1944, though the date was later postponed to June to allow for additional landing craft and expanded operations.

Image source: Operation Overlord

Invasion date set for 1 May 1944

North Africa campaign won by the Allies

May 1943

By mid-1943, the campaign in North Africa had been won by the Allies, removing Axis forces from the region and freeing resources for further operations in the Mediterranean and the planned invasion of northwest Europe.

Image source: Tunisian campaign

North Africa campaign won by the Allies

Trident Conference decides on cross-channel invasion

May 1943

At the Trident Conference in Washington in May 1943, the Allied leaders took the decision to undertake a cross-channel invasion of German-occupied France within the next year.

Image source: Washington Conference (1943)

Trident Conference decides on cross-channel invasion

Allied invasion of Sicily

Jul 1943

Following victory in North Africa, the Allies launched the invasion of Sicily in July 1943, gaining a foothold in southern Europe and contributing to the eventual fall of Mussolini's regime in Italy.

Image source: Allied invasion of Sicily

Allied invasion of Sicily

Initial draft of Overlord plan accepted at Quebec Conference

Aug 1943

The initial draft of the plan for Operation Overlord was accepted at the Quebec Conference in August 1943, laying out the framework for the amphibious assault on the Normandy coast.

Image source: First Quebec Conference

Initial draft of Overlord plan accepted at Quebec Conference

Allied invasion of the Italian mainland

Sep 1943

Subsequent to the conquest of Sicily, the Allies invaded the Italian mainland in September 1943, opening a new front in southern Europe and tying down German divisions.

Image source: Allied invasion of Italy

Allied invasion of the Italian mainland

Tehran Conference: promise of May 1944 second front

Nov 1943

At the Tehran Conference in November 1943, Roosevelt and Churchill promised Stalin that they would open the long-delayed second front in France in May 1944.

Image source: Tehran Conference

Tehran Conference: promise of May 1944 second front

Eisenhower and Montgomery review invasion plan

Dec 31, 1943

On 31 December 1943, Eisenhower and Montgomery first saw the invasion plan, which proposed amphibious landings by three divisions on a 25-mile (40 km) front with two more divisions in support.

German Defenses

Raids on St Nazaire and Dieppe alarm Hitler

1942

Alarmed by the Allied raids on St Nazaire and Dieppe in 1942, Hitler ordered the construction of fortifications along the Atlantic coast of the European mainland, from Spain to Norway, to protect against an expected Allied invasion.

Image source: Atlantic Wall

Raids on St Nazaire and Dieppe alarm Hitler

Dnieper–Carpathian offensive forces German transfers

Dec 24, 1943 - Apr 17, 1944

During the Soviet Dnieper–Carpathian offensive, the German High Command was forced to transfer the entire II SS Panzer Corps from France, including the 9th and 10th SS Panzer Divisions, as well as the 349th Infantry Division, 507th Heavy Panzer Battalion and the 311th and 322nd StuG Assault Gun Brigades.

Image source: Dnieper–Carpathian offensive

Dnieper–Carpathian offensive forces German transfers

German OB West weakened by Eastern Front transfers

Jan 1944

In early 1944, the German Western Front (OB West) was significantly weakened by personnel and materiel transfers to the Eastern Front, reducing its capacity to resist an Allied landing.

Image source: OB West

German OB West weakened by Eastern Front transfers

Panzer divisions arrive in France for refit

Mar 1944 - May 1944

The 1st SS Panzer Division 'Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler', the 9th, 11th, 19th and 116th Panzer divisions, alongside the 2nd SS Panzer Division 'Das Reich', arrived in France in March–May 1944 for extensive refit after suffering heavy losses during the Dnieper-Carpathian operation.

Image source: Panzer division (Wehrmacht)

Panzer divisions arrive in France for refit

Most panzer divisions in France not fully operational

Jun 1, 1944

Seven of the eleven panzer or panzergrenadier divisions stationed in France were not fully operational or only partially mobile in early June 1944, weakening Germany's armored response capability on D-Day.

German conference on North Sea coastal defenses

Jun 6, 1944 - Jun 8, 1944

German armaments minister Albert Speer notes in his 1969 autobiography that the German high command, concerned about the susceptibility of the airports and port facilities along the North Sea coast, held a conference on 6–8 June 1944 to discuss reinforcing defences in that area.

Image source: Albert Speer

German conference on North Sea coastal defenses

Aftermath and Legacy

Pointe du Hoc preserved as it was in 1944

1944

Pointe du Hoc is little changed from 1944, with the terrain covered with bomb craters and most of the concrete bunkers still in place, serving as a lasting memorial to the Rangers who scaled its cliffs on D-Day.

Image source: Pointe du Hoc

Pointe du Hoc preserved as it was in 1944

Germans retreat across the Seine, ending Overlord

Aug 30, 1944

German forces retreated east across the Seine on 30 August 1944, marking the close of Operation Overlord and the successful conclusion of the Allied campaign to liberate northwestern France.

Pegasus Bridge replaced with replica

1994

The original Pegasus Bridge, captured by British glider troops in the opening minutes of D-Day, was replaced in 1994 by one similar in appearance, and the original is housed on the grounds of a nearby museum complex.

Image source: Pegasus Bridge

Pegasus Bridge replaced with replica

Juno Beach Centre opens

2003

The Juno Beach Centre, opened in 2003 at Courseulles-sur-Mer, was funded by the Canadian federal and provincial governments, France, and Canadian veterans, commemorating Canada's role in the D-Day landings.

Image source: Juno Beach Centre

Juno Beach Centre opens

British Normandy Memorial opens above Gold Beach

2021

The British Normandy Memorial above Gold Beach was designed by the architect Liam O'Connor and opened in 2021, honoring the British servicemen who died during the Normandy campaign.

Image source: British Normandy Memorial

British Normandy Memorial opens above Gold Beach

Beaches of the D-Day Landings designated UNESCO World Heritage Site

Jul 2026

In July 2026, the Beaches of the D-Day Landings were designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, recognizing their outstanding universal value as the site of one of history's most consequential military operations.

The Landings

Normandy landings begin on D-Day

Jun 6, 1944

The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during the Second World War, the largest seaborne invasion in history.

USS Corry sunk by mine off Utah Beach

Jun 6, 1944

Among Allied losses to mines during the landings was the American destroyer USS Corry off Utah Beach, demonstrating the danger posed by German minefields to the invasion fleet.

Image source: USS Corry (DD-463)

USS Corry sunk by mine off Utah Beach

USS PC-1261 lost to mines

Jun 6, 1944

Allied losses to mines also included submarine chaser USS PC-1261, a 53-metre (173 ft) patrol craft lost during the D-Day operations off the Normandy coast.

Image source: USS PC-1261

USS PC-1261 lost to mines

French Resistance sabotages railways on D-Day

Jun 6, 1944

A 1965 report from the Counter-insurgency Information Analysis Center details the results of the French Resistance's sabotage efforts: in the southeast, 52 locomotives were destroyed on 6 June and the railway line cut in more than 500 places, hampering German reinforcements.

Image source: French Resistance

French Resistance sabotages railways on D-Day

Key Facts

  1. D-Day took place on June 6, 1944, as part of Operation Overlord, the codename for the Battle of Normandy.
  2. Approximately 156,000 Allied troops landed on five beaches in Normandy: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword.
  3. The invasion involved nearly 7,000 vessels, over 11,000 aircraft, and was the largest amphibious assault in history.
  4. Around 4,400 Allied soldiers were confirmed killed on D-Day, with thousands more wounded or missing.
  5. The success of D-Day opened the Western Front, leading to the liberation of France and ultimately the defeat of Nazi Germany in May 1945.

Source

This D-Day timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.

We work hard to keep these timelines accurate, but mistakes do get through. If you spot one, email us at [email protected] and we'll fix it for future visitors.

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