Dairy Queen is offering free vanilla ice cream cones today, March 16, 2015, in celebration of its 75th anniversary.

The first Dairy Queen opened in June 1940 in downtown Joliet at 501 North Chicago Street. While the structure no longer houses a Dairy Queen, the building made headlines in 2010 when it received landmark status for being home to the first official Dairy Queen.

Illinois also played a role in developing Dairy Queen’s trademark soft-serve ice cream. John Fremont and Bradley McCullough, Kankakee natives, developed the formula in 1938 and franchised it until the first location opened in 1940. 

Dairy Queen has expanded to include more than 5,600 stores worldwide, 85 percent of them located in the United States. 

Learn more:
Dairy Queen History
World’s First Dairy Queen Gets Landmark Status (CBS Chicago)
Dairy Queen Celebrating 75th Anniversary With Free Ice Cream