June 6 Birthday
June 6, 1944: 156,000 Allied troops landed on five beaches in Normandy. The operation had been planned for over two years. The beaches were code-named Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. Omaha was the worst — the beach was wider than expected, the pre-invasion bombardment missed, and German defenses were intact. By nightfall, Allied casualties exceeded 10,000, but the beachhead was established. The invasion force included soldiers from 12 nations. Also born this day: Tetris, released in 1984 by Alexey Pajitnov in the Soviet Union. People born on June 6 fall under the zodiac sign of Gemini. The birthstone is Pearl and the birth flower is Rose. Historical events on June 6 include 1944: D-Day landings at Normandy, 1968: Robert Kennedy assassinated, 1984: Tetris released. Famous people born on June 6 include Diego Velázquez (1599), Thomas Mann (1875), Aram Khachaturian (1903).