The developers working on the Firefox browser’s upgrade have finally set a date for its release. The team announced that the software will be available for download starting June 17.

The advertising campaign was planned to build up the general public’s expectancies by not offering a release date and stating only that the new Firefox 3 browser update will be available “when it’s ready.”

The strategy is part of the team’s goal to enter the Guinness Book with the first ever world record for the biggest number of Internet software downloads made in 24 hours. The target set for this challenge is five million downloads.

Looking back at Firefox’s past successes, their goal may seem a bit too optimistic, as its last update managed to gather a total of 1.6 million in the first 24 hours. On the other hand, the new Firefox 3 brings a significant speed boost for browsing and adds several other improvements, such as lower memory usage, improved reliability, better platforms for developers through new graphics and font handling, much more easier to use features and also a better security system.

Earlier this week, wanting to show that the mission goal is in reach, Mozilla released a statement saying that over one million registered users have already pledged to download the browser update on the day of its release and surely many more will join the entry list by Tuesday, in addition to the many other unregistered Web surfers that are expected to download the software.

As a sign of appreciation for its users, Mozilla invited all people interested in its work to join in the celebration of the company’s “Download Day,” as June 17 will be referred to from now on. The party will host a barbecue and a Nintendo Wii tournament at the company’s headquarters in Mountain View, California.