The Normandy Landings – 80 years of remembrance (3 June 2024)

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To mark the 80th anniversary of the Normandy Landings of 6 June 1944, from 5 to 7 June 2024 France is honouring the memory of these events and the people who came from all over the world to liberate France and Europe from the Nazi yoke.

The Allied Landings in Normandy on 6 June 1944 marked the beginning of the liberation of France and Europe. The attacks waged in Normandy by Allied Expeditionary troops – American, British and Canadian, among others – marked the beginning of Operation Overlord. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers from 15 nations landed on the beaches of Normandy to liberate France and Europe from the Nazi yoke.

Eighty years later, France wishes to express its gratitude to allies of past and present by keeping alive the memory of this decisive event of the Second World War.

This year, the commemorative programme honours all those who rose up, all those who suffered, and all those who fought and liberated. Multiple national ceremonies will take place throughout the commemorations, while the international ceremony will take place near Omaha Beach on 6 June.

Find the programme and information about the national and international ceremonies here: https://www.defense.gouv.fr/mission-liberation/ceremonies

Commemoration also involves passing on the values of freedom and cooperation to younger generations. The duty of remembrance is a moral obligation that we owe to all the people who came from 15 nations to liberate Europe. The landing and liberation commemorations fall within a broader universal movement of unity and fraternity. We would like to once more express our gratitude to all those who united to liberate our continent.

A specific mission for the 80th anniversary of the Liberation

Approved by the decree of 8 September 2023, the “Mission of the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings, the Liberation of France and Victory” is responsible for organizing the 2024 and 2025 commemorative cycle.

The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) is one of the founding members of this interministerial mission with an international angle. Chaired by Philippe Étienne, French Ambassador and former diplomatic adviser to the President of the French Republic, Mission Libération also has a scientific and steering committee, led by Denis Peschanski, research director emeritus at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). The 20 researchers and historians who make up the committee will provide editorial content and help define programmes.

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