Today we remember the 72nd anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy, France. When the Allied powers crossed the English Channel on June 6, 1944 it was the turning point in World War II. Here are a few fascinating facts about this historic event.

The official code name for the invasion was Operation Overlord. Winston Churchill is believed to have named the D-Day invasion. The five beaches where the Allies landed were also given code names: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword. General Dwight D. Eisenhower commanded Operation Overlord. On D-Day General Eisenhower told the force, “The eyes of the world are upon you.” D-Day was the largest invasion in history. The D-Day attack consisted of more than 150,000 personnel coming across the English Channel by sea and air, and about 100,000 troops were involved in the invasion on June 6. The invasion was originally scheduled for June 5, 1944, but bad weather forced the Allies to postpone a day. When the meteorologists told Eisenhower that the weather would clear the next day, the date of the invasion was moved. But in reality, the weather was nearly as bad on June 6.

We at Sip & Savor are forever grateful to the brave men and women of the Greatest Generation for their courage and sacrifice in defending our great nation.