Germany invades France and the Low Countries, initiating the Battle of France during World War II.
German forces advance rapidly, reaching the English Channel and trapping Allied forces in northern France and Belgium.
The British start the large-scale evacuation of Allied soldiers trapped on the beaches of Dunkirk, France, known as Operation Dynamo.
Over 330,000 Allied soldiers are evacuated from Dunkirk using naval vessels and civilian boats during the nine-day operation.
Operation Dynamo ends with the successful rescue of hundreds of thousands of troops, though much equipment was left behind.
German forces have surrounded the Allied troops, trapping them on the beaches of Dunkirk with limited escape routes.
British and Allied soldiers start boarding naval vessels and civilian boats to evacuate from Dunkirk.
Royal Air Force Spitfires engage in aerial combat to protect evacuation ships from German air attacks.
Civilian sailors launch their boats from England to assist in rescuing stranded soldiers from Dunkirk.
Royal Navy vessels make last trips to evacuate remaining troops before the area falls to German control.
