ICP 585 Omaha Beach. June 6th, 1944. The first wave of American troops lands at dawn.
(Robert Capa/Magnum Photos)

In June 1944 the Allied forces opened a second front in Normandy (after the one in North Africa and Italy) to liberate France. On June 6th, in what was later called D-Day, 90,000 soldiers landed on Omaha Beach (the coded name for Coleville-sur-Mer). Many of them were killed by German troops, but the Allies managed nonetheless to defeat the Germans.