D-Day

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In U.S. military history, any designated day for the commencement of a major operation.

The designation apparently originated in World War I; its meaning is uncertain, though it is probable that the “D” stands for nothing more than “Day.” (The designated time for commencement of action on any D-Day was referred to as H-Hour.) The most celebrated D-Day occurred on June 6, 1944, the first day of the Anglo-American invasion of Europe in World War II. See Normandy Campaign.

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Normandy Invasion: final British, Canadian, and German positions on D-Day, June 6, 1944

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