The significance of the D-Day landings in World War II, which took place on June 6, 1944, was monumental in the Allied effort to reclaim Western Europe from Nazi occupation. This operation, known as Operation Overlord, involved the largest amphibious invasion in history, with forces landing on the beaches of Normandy, France. The successful landings marked the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe, significantly weakening German defenses. D-Day was pivotal in establishing a second front against the Axis powers, contributing to the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945.