Day, the first day of the Normandy landings that laid the foundations for the Allied defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

Veterans are gathering on the beaches of Normandy to mark the 81st anniversary of the D-Day landings — a pivotal moment during World War II that eventually led to the collapse of Adolf Hitler’s regime

A handful of veterans will join thousands of people in Normandy today to mark the 81st anniversary of the D-Day landings.