Will there be a minute of silence for the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings?

Today (June 6) marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day, when thousands of men died on the beaches of Normandy, France.

Authorities have begun commemorating the dead, paying tribute to the 156,000 Allied troops who fought on the beaches of Normandy during World War II to overthrow Adolf Hitler from power on June 6, 1944.

But can we, as a nation, honour the bravery of the soldiers who fell on June 6?

Here’s what you need to know.

What is D-Day?

D-Day, also known as the Normandy landings or “The Longest Day”, was the largest seaborne invasion in military history. Troops from Britain, the Commonwealth, France and the United States landed on the beaches of Normandy at several locations along the coast to take the Germans by surprise.

Their mission was to liberate France from German occupation and the Allied victory that day marked the beginning of the end of World War II and was a decisive turning point in the conflict.

A minute of silence for D-Day?

For most military commemorations, countries remember those who fell with a minute’s silence and D-Day is no different, with the tradition observed in the UK, France, the US and the Commonwealth.

The Armistice Day silences take place at the time and day of the signing of the World War I Armistice, at 11 a.m. on November 11.

But D-Day does not focus on a single hour, nor does it mark the end of World War II, which did not end until months after the 1944 operation.

There are a number of services in place in the UK and Europe where a silence will follow appearances by political and religious leaders.

The largest commemoration of the day usually takes place at the American Cemetery in Colleville-Sur-Mer, Normandy. This year, the cemetery will be closed to the public to allow for an all-day commemoration, so you can follow the livestream here starting at 6:30am.