History of Animation

Shahr-e Sukhteh

3000 BCE

A bronze-age pottery bowl depicts goats leaping

Vitruvian Male

Jan 1, 1490

Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man drawing shows
multiple angles, implying movement.

Magic Lantern

Jan 1, 1803

The Magic Lantern is an image projector using pictures on sheets of glass. Since some sheets contain moving parts, it is considered the first example of projected animation.

Zoetrope

Jan 15, 1834

A zoetrope is one of several pre-film animation devices that produce the illusion of motion by displaying a sequence of drawings or photographs showing progressive phases of that motion

Praxinoscope

Dec 15, 1877

The praxinoscope improved on the zoetrope by replacing its narrow viewing slits with an inner circle of mirrors, placed so that the reflections of the pictures appeared more or less stationary in position as the wheel turned

The Enchanted Drawing

Nov 16, 1900

a 1900 silent film directed by J. Stuart Blackton. It is best known for containing the first animated sequences recorded on standard picture film, which has led Blackton to be considered the father of American animation

Humorous Phases of Funny Faces

Apr 6, 1906

is a 1906 short silent animated cartoon directed by James Stuart Blackton and generally regarded by film historians as the first animated film recorded on standard picture film.

Gertie the Dinosaur

Feb 8, 1914

is a 1914 animated short film by American cartoonist and animator Winsor McCay. It is the earliest animated film to feature a dinosaur. McCay first used the film before live audiences as an interactive part of his vaudeville act.

Felix the Cat

Jan 1, 1919

Musical Mews and Feline Follies introduced Felix the Cat—often considered the first animated movie star

Walt Disney

Oct 16, 1923

The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney, is an American diversified, multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. Disney was founded by Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, and established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into live-action film production, television, and theme parks.

Steamboat Willie

Nov 18, 1928

is a 1928 American animated short film directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. It was produced in black-and-white by Walt Disney Studios and was released by Celebrity Productions. The cartoon is considered the debut of Mickey Mouse and his girlfriend Minnie

Looney Tunes

Jan 1, 1930

is an American animated series of comedy short films produced by Warner Bros. from 1930 to 1969 during the golden age of American animation, alongside its sister series Merrie Melodies

Snow White

Dec 21, 1937

is a 1937 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and originally released by RKO Radio Pictures. Based on the German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, it is the first full-length cel animated feature film and the earliest Disney animated feature film.

The Flintstones

Sep 30, 1960

Hanna-Barbera releases The Flintstones, the first animated
series on prime-time television.

Scooby Doo

Jan 1, 1969

is an American animated cartoon franchise, comprising several animated television series produced from 1969 to the present day. The original series, Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!, was created for Hanna-Barbera Productions by writers Joe Ruby and Ken Spears in 1969.