Lighting up the library for D-Day 80
Thursday 6 June 2024
On Thursday evening the exterior façade of the Library of Â鶹ÊÓƵ will be lit up red, white and blue to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
The Normandy landings - also known as D-Day - on 6 June 1944 were a decisive turning point in the Second World War. The liberation of France and Europe began on the beaches of Normandy.
In the early hours of D-Day, 24,000 paratroopers and glider-borne troops landed behind German lines to provide tactical support. Massive naval and aerial bombardments attempted to suppress the German defences and weaponry. Then a ground force of more than 130,000 troops came ashore on five beaches across a 50-mile stretch of Normandy coast, with the first waves often facing intact defences.
By the end of D-Day there had been 10,000 allied casualties. Yet this was only the beginning. The Battle of Normandy lasted into August. It cost tens of thousands of lives as it defeated and forced the occupying German forces eastwards.
It was a significant success for the Allies and paved the way for the liberation of much of north-west Europe.
For more information about D-Day 80 events, visit .
Article posted 4 June 2024