What Happened on June 6?

June 6 is D-Day — when Allied forces landed in Normandy in 1944 — and the date of the first drive-in movie theater and the world's first public university museum.

• 1683 — The world's first university museum opens in Oxford

  The Ashmolean Museum opened its doors at Oxford University, widely considered the first museum open to the public. Read the full story →

• 1898 — Qing dynasty grants Russia rights to Port Arthur

  China's Qing government leased the ice-free naval port of Lüshun (Port Arthur) to Russia, reshaping power struggles in East Asia. Read the full story →

• 1933 — First drive-in movie theater opens in New Jersey

  Richard Hollingshead opened the world's first drive-in theater in Camden, New Jersey, letting families watch movies from their cars. Read the full story →

• 1944 — D-Day: Allies land on the beaches of Normandy

  The largest sea-and-air invasion in history began on the beaches of Nazi-occupied France, opening the way to ending World War II in Europe. Read the full story →

• 1971 — Soyuz 11 launches toward the first space station

  Soviet cosmonauts blasted off to become the first crew of Salyut 1, the world's first space station. Read the full story →

Famous birthdays

Thomas Mann (1875–1955) · Gary U.S. Bonds (1939) · Sukarno (1901–1970)

Days & observances

D-Day Remembrance · National Yo-Yo Day · National Gardening Exercise Day