Operation Neptune, also known as D-Day, took place on June 6, 1944. It was a hugely significant military operation that saw Allied forces invade Normandy. This historic event is remembered as the beginning of the liberation of northwestern Europe from Nazi control. It remains the largest seaborne invasion ever conducted.
Take a journey back in time by browsing through the gallery and viewing photographs of this momentous day.
General Dwight D. Eisenhower delivers the command "Full victory-nothing else" to paratroopers stationed in England moments before they board their aircraft for the first wave of the invasion.
After being captured by Canadian troops in Bernieres Sur Mer, France, German prisoners of war are seen marching along Juno Beach towards a ship bound for England and captivity.
Smiling American soldiers pictured in a landing craft on the eve of D-Day.
An American military policeman and an elderly French resident share a moment of laughter on the war-ravaged streets of Sainte Mere Eglise.
A United States flag set as a marker on a destroyed bunker, marking the strategic site captured at Pointe du Hoc, France, two days after D-Day.
US Army reinforcements ascend a hill with Omaha Beach serving as a compelling backdrop following the D-Day landings.
US Army paratroopers from the 101st Airborne Division operate a German Kübelwagen captured in Carentan, France, at the intersection of Rue Holgate and RN13.
Canadian soldiers land on Juno Beach in Bernieres Sur Mer, France, during the D-Day invasion.
American soldiers arrive on the French coast under intense machine gun fire.
Survivors from a landing craft attacked by the enemy receive assistance upon reaching Utah Beach.
A tribute to a fallen combatant placed on a shell-damaged beach in Normandy.
Injured soldiers from the 16th Infantry Regiment, who were part of the American assault troops, anticipate evacuation from Omaha Beach.
A glimpse of Omaha Beach right after it was successfully captured.
US troops preparing to embark on their transports, in readiness for the Normandy invasion.
Barrage balloons deployed at Omaha Beach during the Allied invasion.
After completing a mission to assist the D-Day landings in Normandy, bomber crews from the US Ninth Airforce disembark from their aircraft. Their objective was to disrupt German communication and supply lines.
American soldiers depart England by sea, bound for Normandy, during World War II.
US soldiers embark at Torquay Hards, England, before heading for the Normandy coast.
An American military landing vessel approaches the northern shores of France, carrying soldiers as it prepares to make landfall.
American troops land at Omaha Beach.
It's time! British troops hit the beach.
US soldiers, heavily armed and in full battle dress, embark on a landing craft.
American troops save fellow Americans from a sinking vessel after it was struck by enemy gunfire.
American soldiers assist wounded soldiers from a dinghy after their landing ship was struck by German rounds.
American troops land on Omaha during their assault on the beachhead.
Members of the allied invasion force are stationed in foxholes on the beachhead, maintaining vigilance as new troops and equipment continue to arrive.
One of the earliest photos of the D-Day landings in Normandy, depicting US jeeps and soldiers arriving on the French shoreline.
See also: Is a third world war inevitable? Prophets, experts, and even AI weigh in
D-Day through the lens: snapshots from a moment in history
Relive key moments from the biggest seaborne invasion ever mounted
LIFESTYLE War
Operation Neptune, also known as D-Day, took place on June 6, 1944. It was a hugely significant military operation that saw Allied forces invade Normandy. This historic event is remembered as the beginning of the liberation of northwestern Europe from Nazi control. It remains the largest seaborne invasion ever conducted.
Take a journey back in time by browsing through the gallery and viewing photographs of this momentous day.