When did Disneyland open?

Walt Disney built Disneyland on former orange groves in Anaheim, and it took only about a year to construct at a cost of around $17 million. The opening day on 17 July 1955 was broadcast live on television and was meant to be an invitation-only preview. Counterfeit tickets and gatecrashers pushed the crowd to about 28,000 people, and a heatwave, melting asphalt and food shortages earned it the nickname “Black Sunday”. Despite that rocky start, the park drew about one million visitors within its first seven weeks. It remains the only Disney park designed and opened under Walt Disney’s personal supervision.