1943 6th December
Operation Overlord
Churchill & Roosevelt agree General Eisenhower will command Allied forces for the invasion of Europe
D-Day and Normandy · permanent subject timeline
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Supreme Allied Commander for Operation Overlord. This page combines historical context with 28 matching records drawn directly from the World History Database Normandy archive.
Historical context
Dwight D. Eisenhower: overview and significance
What happened?
Dwight D. Eisenhower was appointed Supreme Allied Commander for the invasion of Europe. He coordinated the multinational command structure and made the final decision to launch the invasion despite uncertain weather.
Why was it important?
Eisenhower's role required balancing land, naval and air commanders from several Allied nations. His decision to proceed on 6 June 1944 became one of the most consequential command decisions of the war.
World History Database records
Dwight D. Eisenhower timeline
The records below are selected from the 455-record D-Day and Normandy archive and rendered as static HTML in chronological order.
1943
1943 31st December
Operation Overlord
In December 1943, Operation Postage Able used an X-craft to collect suitable data for all of the Normandy beaches. Following Eisenhowers and Montgomerys revisions it is expanded to landings by 5 divisions and airborne descents by 3 divisions, in total, 47 divisions would be committed to the Battle of Normandy: 19 British, 5 Canadian, 21 US & 1 Free French
1943 December
Operation Overlord
Appointed Supreme Allied Commander for Operation Overlord
1943 December
Supreme Allied Commander
Appointed Supreme Allied Commander for Operation Overlord
1943 December
Supreme Allied Commander
Appointed Supreme Allied Commander for Operation Overlord at the Cairo Conference
1944
1944 15th January
Operation Overlord
The Allies agree the plans for D-Day
1944 25th January
Operation Overlord
The directive appointing Eisenhower Supreme Allied Commander for Overlord is issued
1944 25th January
Supreme Allied Commander
The directive appointing Eisenhower Supreme Allied Commander for Overlord is issued. Appointed Supreme Allied Commander
1944 January
Operation Overlord
Arrives in England to assume duties as Supreme Allied Commander of Operation Overlord
1944 31st March
Beaver
US D-Day beach landing training exercise (Operation Beaver) at Slapton Sands, Devon, demonstrate a dangerous lack of coordination between units
1944 31st March
Operation Overlord
US D-Day beach landing training exercise (Operation Beaver) at Slapton Sands, Devon, demonstrate a dangerous lack of coordination between units
1944 7th April
Operation Overlord
Montgomery presents his strategy for the invasion at St Pauls School, a ninety day battle, ending when all the forces reach the Seine, pivoting on an Allied-held Caen, with British and Canadian armies forming a shoulder & US armies wheeling right
1944 28th April
Operation Overlord
German torpedo boats nearly discover a mock landing but all 600 soldiers are drowned
1944 3rd June
Operation Overlord
The Allied invasion force of 150,000 departs from England on 5,300 ships
1944 4th June
Operation Overlord
The weather in the Channel deteriorates & the Allied invasion force is recalled
1944 4th June
Operation Overlord
Postpones Operation Overlord, due 5th June, because of bad weather
1944 5th June
D-Day Failure Message
Writes a brief statement accepting personal responsibility in case the Normandy landings fail.
1944 5th June
Operation Overlord
176,000 men & 20,000 vehicles are to be landed in 2 days
1944 5th June
Operation Overlord
Gives the go ahead for Operation Overlord for 6th June
1944 6th June
D-Day Order of the Day
Issues his Order of the Day to Allied soldiers, sailors and airmen as the Normandy invasion begins.
1944 6th June
Operation Overlord
The Allies land 130,000 men & 22,000 parachutists & lose 9,500 killed or wounded. The Allied landings take place with 487,653 men & 89,728 making it ashore. Plans & commands the Allied capture of Germany from D-Day
1944 June
Allied Transit Base
Bayeux became a strategic transit and support centre for Eisenhower's Allied armies.
1944 2nd July
Operation Dragoon
Churchill asks Eisenhower to cancel Dragoon in order to break the deadllock at Caen
1944 2nd July
Siege of Caen
Churchill asks Eisenhower to cancel Dragoon in order to break the deadllock at Caen
1944 July
Normandy Logistics
Eisenhower's command relied on Bayeux as an undamaged link between the beaches and the fighting front.
1944 1st September
Direct Command of Allied Ground Forces
Assumes direct operational command of Allied ground forces in northwest Europe as the campaign advances beyond Normandy.
1944
Bombing of Normandy
Carries out a plan to bomb the French railway system, despite Churchills opposition
1944
Operation Overlord
Arrives in England to assume duties as Supreme Allied Commander of Operation Overlord. Carries out a plan to bomb the French railway system, despite Churchills opposition
Editorial provenance
Sources and editorial review
Compiled and edited by World History Database.
Historical context is editorial material; the chronology is generated from World History Database D-Day and Normandy records.
Last reviewed: September 2026.
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