Each year a unique confluence of events combine to make the anniversary of D-Day and the Normandy Campaign an incredible experience. Thousands of people travel from across Europe and around the world to pay homage, and take part in the commemorations. We cannot say for sure, but we consider the intense interest and passion from people of all ages to be unique in terms of remembering a military action. Perhaps it is that Overlord was such a vast undertaking involving many hundreds of thousands of Allied servicemen that it has literally touched the lives or sparked an interest in so many people.
As much as is written about the veterans and the people who travel to Normandy to experience the annual commemorations, we should never overlook the residents of the region itself. After all, it is they and their parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles who suffered under the German occupation. It is they and their relatives and ancestors who fought with the Free French forces and in the resistance. And it was the French who suffered terribly – not only at the hands of the Germans – but beneath the bombs and artillery of the Allies who needed to diminish the capability of the occupying forces before the landings could even take place.
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Each year, history enthusiasts, veterans, families, and nations around the world commemorate the brave Allied forces who stormed the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944, in one of the most significant military operations in history. D-Day marked a crucial turning point in World War II, ultimately leading to the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi occupation. As anniversary commemorations approach, various organizations host events, ceremonies, and educational programs to honor the extraordinary courage and sacrifice of those who participated in this historic landing.
For the most current information on official D-Day anniversary events, special ceremonies, veteran recognition programs, and public access details, please visit the below link:
81st D-Day Commemoration: June 6, 2025
Notable D-Day Anniversaries
During the events in Normandy in 2014 I overheard a British Army officer talking to a few of his men. He said to the young soldiers that the “Walter Mittys” as he called them would be back, but that this would be the last year the veterans would make the journey. With the dissolution of the Normandy Veterans Association in November 2014, he may be right that no more official tours for groups of veterans will be organized.
However, it was his other comment that really annoyed me. The “Walter Mitty” types as he called them – the re-enactors, vehicle enthusiasts and other individuals who dress in period costume – are a key element in the fabric of the annual Normandy commemorations. The veterans themselves and the people like us at D-Day.Center along with the “Walter Mittys”, understand that 6th June occurs every 12 months and not just every five years as the media and politicians seem to think. We will return each year and do our best to keep future generations interested and informed about our history.
1st Anniversary – 1945 – #DDay1
On 6th June 1945, victory in Europe was barely a month old, whilst the war in the Pacific still raged as the Battle of Okinawa neared its climax.
Remembrance of the Normandy landings which had taken place just twelve months earlier was localised and low-key. General Eisenhower announced that 6th June would be a holiday for Allied forces, and stated that “formal ceremonies would be avoided”.
Some ceremonies did take place, however, such as the one pictured here on Gold Beach. The relics of war were still clearly in evidence in the Normandy countryside as a motorcade made its way from Omaha Beach, via Port-en-Bessin, to Arromanches. Some local people showered the cars with flowers whilst others cheered. There were no Heads of State among the VIPs, and many of the ‘veterans’ were still in uniform.
Quite notably, just a year after Operation Overlord, the Comité du Débarquement was founded on 22nd May 1945.
10th Anniversary – 1954 – #DDay10
A decade after the Battle of Normandy, General Eisenhower had now become the 24th President of the United States. Just the year before he had concluded another major conflict, this time in Korea. A statement was released by the President in recognition of the anniversary. It began “This day is the tenth anniversary of the landing of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Normandy. That combined land-sea-air operation was made possible by the joint labors of cooperating nations. It depended for its success upon the skill, determination and self-sacrifice of men from several lands. It set in motion a chain of events which affected the history of the entire world.”
Here is the full text of Eisenhower’s D-Day statement.
French President, René Coty, travelled to Normandy and was greeted warmly by the crowds. Memorials were unveiled, ceremonies took place and wreaths were laid. British, French and American soldiers took part in various organized events of remembrance. In Arromanches, President Coty officially inaugurated the D-Day Landing Museum and was the first museum dedicated to the Battle of Normandy.
20th Anniversary – 1964 – #DDay20
In 1964, Dwight Eisenhower returned to Normandy for the first time since the war. In the intervening years he had served two terms as President of the United States.
Veteran broadcaster Walter Cronkite travelled with him and together they filmed a television documentary for CBS entitled “D-Day Plus 20 Years”.
An important Civil Rights Bill prevented President Lyndon B. Johnson from attending the 20th Anniversary events, and he instead sent a 22-strong delegation led by General Omar Bradley. By the 1960’s veterans of the war and tourists – including a few Germans – were starting to visit the battlefields of Normandy in greater numbers.
30th Anniversary – 1974 – #DDay30
In 1974, General Omar Bradley, known as “The Soldier’s General”, who commanded the US First Army on D-Day attended a commemoration ceremony in Normandy. He was America’s last surviving General of the Army (five-star general), having attained that rank while serving as the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 1950.
Perhaps the 30th Anniversary of D-Day was the beginning of the sort of anniversaries we know today, with independent veterans groups touring the battlefields, such as the 22nd Independent Parachute Company’s reunion tour, and military vehicle enthusiasts travelling to visit the landing beaches. The hobby of military vehicle restoration was starting to become more popular.
1974 also saw the decommissioning of “Arromanches”, the aircraft carrier that entered service with the French navy in 1946. She had previously been known as HMS Colossus of the Royal Navy, commissioned in 1944. A model of the vessel still remains in the town hall in Arromanches-les-Bains.
40th Anniversary – 1984 – #DDay40
Ronald Reagan was the first sitting President of the United States to return to Normandy on the anniversary of D-Day. In 1984 he gave a speech at Pointe du Hoc in front of Ranger veterans who took part in the assault. “These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc. These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped end a war.”
Reagan’s 13 minute speech is probably the most memorable event of the 40th Anniversary of D-Day. Written by Peggy Noonan it has been ranked as the 60th best American speech of the 20th century.
The 40th Anniversary also witnessed the opening of the D-Day Museum and Overlord Embroidery in Southsea, Portsmouth. After 1984 the events commemorating the Normandy landings seemed to gather momentum, and the hobby of military vehicle restoration was really beginning to burgeon.
50th Anniversary – 1994 – #DDay50
Fiftieth anniversaries by their very nature are always something a little special and extraordinary. The build-up to the events of June 1994 were marked by both excitement and a little criticism. Some veterans groups complained that the UK’s planned events contained a little too much celebration and not enough commemoration. However, they needn’t have worried.
Some of the incredible and moving events included multinational ceremonies conducted in both the UK and France, attended by dozens of world leaders and international Royalty along with hundreds of veterans. One absent leader, however, was Germany’s Chancellor Helmut Kohl who had asked not to be invited.
Thirty-eight American D-Day veterans – dubbed by the French press as ‘papys sauteurs’ (‘jumping grandpas’) – parachuted once again over Sainte-Mère-Eglise. The 70-year old veteran’s parachute failed to open and he had to use his reserve.
The Royal British legion chartered the cruise ship Canberra, herself a veteran of the Falklands War, to take Normandy veterans and their families across to France. Following participation in the Spithead review by The Queen aboard the Royal yacht, a service was conducted aboard by the ship’s master and a veteran padre. At that time a Lancaster bomber flew overhead and released around a million poppies above the ship, creating one of the most iconic images of the commemorations.
A Normandy veteran herself, the Liberty Ship Jeremiah O’Brien and the then brand new Nimitz class carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73) on her maiden deployment visited Europe, along with USS Guam (LPH-9).
The 50th Anniversary of D-Day was unlike any that had been before, and was the occasion that really sparked the modern interest and passionate remembrance that we know today – not to mention the merchandising. Never before was so much effort spent designing commemorative chinaware that was produced by so many and enjoyed by so few…
60th Anniversary – 2004 – #DDay60
For the 60th Anniversary, to cope with the anticipated influx of visitors, significant investment was made to improving roads and other amenities in parts of Calvados and Manche. At Point-du-Hoc for example, the tracks between the craters and casemates were replaced by smooth, wide paths suitable for wheelchairs and motorized ‘golf cart’ style vehicles, whilst sturdy metal platforms accessible by steps were mounted above several of the gun emplacements.
Sadly, due to the instability of the cliff in parts of the promontory, the observation bunker and memorial – the sight of President Reagan’s famous 1984 speech – was off limits.
2004 was the first D-Day anniversary that we attended in Normandy. It was quite unlike anything else we had ever experienced. The sheer numbers of people, re-enactors and restored military vehicles was just incredible. Whilst driving along the pretty, winding Normandy roads it was not at all uncommon to stumble across a field or courtyard that had been transferred into a mock military encampment. Cars would park anywhere whilst the occupants went and explored and chatted to veterans, requesting autographs of men who certainly weren’t famous – men who had simply taken part in something of immense historic importance.
Just behind the cliffs between Arromanches and Asnelles, a field was taken over and converted into the location for the international ceremony – complete with helicopter landing area. On 6th June itself, travel restrictions were put in place in certain areas to allow the easier transportation of the veterans attending ceremonies, and the ‘VIPs’ – the politicians and other dignitaries. After the international ceremony ended, it was incredibly frustrating to see the veterans being forced to wait patiently in the heat for the ‘VIPs’ to casually make their way down the hill, late as always, for the official British ceremony.
The media made much of the ‘fact’ that 2004 would be the last D-Day anniversary that would be attended by veterans in significant numbers. Thankfully, as is often the case, they were wrong and as we head past 2014 and on towards the 71st Anniversary, despite their dwindling numbers, we know there will still be plenty of veterans in Normandy in 2015.
70th Anniversary – 2014 – #DDay70
In 2014 world leaders and royalty headed to Normandy to pay tribute to veterans of the D-Day Landings. British Prime Minister David Cameron attended a service of remembrance at Bayeux Cathedral, while the Queen laid a wreath at the Commonwealth War Cemetery. American President Barack Obama lead a standing ovation for veterans at the US cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mer, followed by a 21-gun salute and fly-past.
The small town of Ouiestreham near Caen played host to the main international ceremony later in the day. Jet aircraft of the Patrouille Acrobatique de France left trails of red, white and blue smoke in the skies above the ceremony, whilst a huge chorus performed and colorful daytime fireworks were launched. Further along the coast, the beach at Arromanches was crowded with people watching various spectacles, including visiting the two British Army landing craft that were beached there for the day.
Although the numbers of veterans returning to the Beaches are naturally reducing, more and more schemes, funds and charities are making the effort to help veterans make the journey back to Normandy.
75th Anniversary – 2019 – #DDay75
June 6th, 2019 marked the 75th anniversary of D-Day, commemorating the largest amphibious assault in history launched on June 6, 1944, which ultimately led to the end of the Second World War and the liberation of Europe. The momentous occasion was honored with numerous events and ceremonies across Normandy, France, and around the world as nations came together to remember the sacrifice and bravery of the Allied troops who stormed the beaches of Normandy.
World leaders and veterans gathered in France to mark this historic anniversary, with hundreds of veterans attending ceremonies to honor the sacrifice of those who died in the D-Day landings. The commemorations drew together representatives from Allied nations to pay tribute to the approximately 160,000 troops—more than 60,000 of them British—who descended on the beaches of Normandy that fateful day. The events provided a solemn reminder of the human cost of the operation, while celebrating the courage that led to the eventual liberation of Western Europe.
The National WWII Museum commemorated the anniversary with special art exhibits, free public programming, and educational travel tours in Normandy, allowing people from around the world to learn about and honor this pivotal moment in history. U.S. Forces also participated in various activities in the Normandy region between June 1-9, 2019, highlighting their commitment to honoring the past while securing the future.
The commemorations were particularly poignant as they likely represented the last major anniversary where a significant number of D-Day veterans would be present to share their firsthand experiences. Nations honored not only the memory of the fallen but also the singular bravery of all Allied troops who sloshed through bloodied water to reach the landing beaches. The 75th anniversary events served as a powerful reminder of the courage, sacrifice, and unity that defined one of history’s most significant military operations, with ceremonies and tributes broadcast globally to ensure this momentous occasion in world history would never be forgotten.
80th Anniversary – 2024 – #DDay80
June 6, 2024 marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day, a solemn occasion commemorating the Allied landings in Normandy that changed the course of World War II. The American Battle Monuments Commission hosted commemorative events at the Normandy American Cemetery, honoring the fallen and celebrating the legacy of those brave soldiers who altered the trajectory of history eight decades ago. The significance of this milestone anniversary was highlighted through numerous ceremonies and events that brought together veterans, dignitaries, and citizens from around the world.
The international community gathered to pay their respects, with 25 heads of state, veterans, and officials attending the official international ceremony at Omaha Beach on Thursday, June 6, 2024. Among the distinguished attendees were members of the British Royal Family, as The King and Queen, joined by other Royal Family members, participated in events from June 5-6 to remember the sacrifices made by Allied troops. These commemorations provided a powerful reminder of the international cooperation that made the D-Day landings possible.
In a touching tribute to the dwindling number of World War II veterans still able to attend such ceremonies, American Airlines flew nearly 70 World War II veterans to Normandy to participate in the 80th anniversary events. The Juno Beach Centre, representing Canadian forces who participated in the landings, also commemorated the anniversary with special programming honoring Canadian contributions to the liberation of Europe. These initiatives ensured that veterans could return to the beaches where they fought and that their contributions would be remembered by future generations.
The U.S. military showed strong support for the commemorations, with personnel and equipment deployed to support events from May 30 to June 10, 2024. Educational institutions like The National WWII Museum in New Orleans held special events on June 6-7, exploring the epic battle through exhibits, talks, and programming designed to help people understand the scope and significance of Operation Overlord. As the number of living D-Day veterans continues to diminish, the 80th anniversary served as a crucial moment to capture their stories and ensure that the sacrifices made on those Normandy beaches will never be forgotten.
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WW2 D-Day Museums in Normandy
