A UK soldier watches fireworks in Arromanches-les-Bains, France, on Thursday, June 6.
World
Updated 9:14 PM EDT, Thu June 6, 2024
Events are taking place around the world to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy, France.
On June 6, 1944, tens of thousands of Allied troops landed on five stretches of the Normandy coastline, codenamed Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword.
It was the largest amphibious invasion in history and launched a campaign that laid the foundations for the Allied defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
"We're not far off from the time when the last living voices of those who fought and bled on D-Day will no longer be with us, so we have a special obligation," US President Joe Biden said in a speech at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. "We cannot let what happened here be lost in the silence of the years to come."
From left, French first lady Brigitte Macron, French President Emmanuel Macron, US President Joe Biden and US first lady Jill Biden arrive for a D-Day ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial in Colleville-sur-Mer, France, on Thursday.
A woman sits by crosses at a US cemetery near Colleville-sur-Mer on Thursday.
People wear replica military attire as part of D-Day commemorations in Normandy, France, on Thursday.
US President Joe Biden delivers a speech at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. "History tells us freedom is not free," he said. "If you want to know the price of freedom, come here to Normandy."
Flowers lie on the shore of Utah Beach as a tribute to soldiers who died there 80 years ago.
Musicians perform during a British veterans parade in Arromanches-les-Bains on Thursday.
People wait for the start of the ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial.
A man wears World War II-era attire on Utah Beach.
Veterans attend the Royal British Legion's service of remembrance at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, England, on Thursday.
The Royal Marines of 47 Commando land on a beach in Normandy as part of the commemorations on Thursday.
The medals of D-Day veteran Kenneth Swain are seen before a commemoration service in Portland, England, on Thursday.
Enthusiasts dressed in replica attire react as a Lockheed C-130 Hercules flies over Utah Beach on Thursday.
Britain's Prince William speaks to World War II veterans during a ceremony at the Juno Beach Centre near Courseulles-sur-Mer, France, on Thursday.
A man wearing a World War II-era uniform stands in front of a board at the D-Day Centre in Portland, England, on Thursday. The board displays names of D-Day soldiers who left in the first wave from Portland 80 years ago.
Actor Tom Hanks attends the ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. Hanks spoke with CNN's Christiane Amanpour about democracy, saying he believes the US and Western societies "cannot help but turn towards what is right."
French President Emmanuel Macron, left, and US President Joe Biden attend the ceremony in Colleville-sur-Mer.
The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, aka the Red Arrows, flies over the British Normandy Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer, France, on Thursday.
People walk in the gardens at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, England.
Britain's King Charles III watches Queen Camilla signs the guestbook at the official opening of the Winston Churchill Education and Learning Centre, on the site of the British Normandy Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer.
This military helmet and rose were left behind by well-wishers on Utah Beach.
A D-Day themed drone display takes place above the Portsmouth Naval Memorial in Portsmouth, England, on Wednesday, June 5.
D-Day veterans aboard a Brittany Ferries ship leave Portsmouth on Tuesday, June 4, to take part in the anniversary commemorations in France.
French troops disembark from a US landing craft during an amphibious landing showcase at Omaha Beach on Tuesday.
Betty Ann Margol gives a goodbye kiss to her husband, Hilbert, before he boarded a plane in Atlanta on Sunday, June 2. He was traveling with a group of veterans to Normandy to commemorate D-Day.
Silhouettes representing British soldiers who died during World War II are displayed at the British Memorial in Ver-sur-Mer on Saturday, June 1.
