On June 6, 1944 (D-Day), the Allied forces launched massive air and sea invasions of Normandy, France in order to gain a foothold in mainland Europe. Over 150,000 Allied soldiers landed on five beaches in Normandy and over 29,000 troops parachuted or were dropped by glider behind German lines. While the Allied forces met strong German resistance and failed to achieve all of their objectives on D-Day, they were ultimately successful in establishing beachheads and beginning to push inland, marking a major turning point in World War II.