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- DictionaryD-Day/ˈdiːdeɪ/
noun
- 1. the day (6 June 1944) in the Second World War on which Allied forces invaded northern France by means of beach landings in Normandy.
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The “D” stands for “day.” “It simply signifies the day that the invasion will launch and puts all the timetables into play,” says Keith Huxen, Senior Director of Research and History at the...
D-Day is the day of a combat attack or operation, often used for the Normandy landings in World War II. Learn the origin, history and usage of this term and its variations in different languages and contexts.
- Overview
- HISTORY Vault: D-Day in HD
The meaning behind the "D" in D-Day has to do with military terminology.
On the morning of June 6, 1944, Allied forces staged an enormous assault on German positions on the beaches of Normandy, France. The invasion is often known by the famous nickname “D-Day,” yet few people know the origin of the term or what, if anything, the “D” stood for. Most argue it was merely a redundancy that also meant “day,” but others have proposed everything from “departure” to “decision” to “doomsday.”
Why D-Day Almost Never Happened
According to the U.S. military, “D-Day” was an Army designation used to indicate the start date for specific field operations. In this case, the “D” in D-Day doesn’t actually stand for anything—it’s merely an alliterative placeholder used to designate a particular day on the calendar.
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HISTORY tells the story of D-Day in HD through rare footage rendered in high definition and interviews with the men who lived through it. Allied and German survivors tell their first-hand stories about the war that changed the course of the world.
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Oct 27, 2009 · D-Day was the code name for the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied France on June 6, 1944, during World War II. Learn about the planning, preparation, execution and consequences of this historic operation that marked a turning point in the war.
May 22, 2024 · D-Day was the first day of the Allied invasion of German-occupied Western Europe in June 1944. Learn about the planning, deception, and execution of the operation, as well as the German defences and the Allied forces involved.
- Mark Cartwright
Jun 4, 2024 · June 6, 2024 marks 80 years since D-Day, the first day of the Normandy landings that laid the foundations for the Allied defeat of Germany in World War II.
Jun 6, 2011 · Today, “D-Day” commonly refers to June 6, 1944, the launch date of Operation Overlord. In military terminology, however, “d-day” refers to the start date of any military operation. D-Day marked the opening of an Allied front in western Europe.
