The History of Walter Elias Disney

  • Walt Disney goes to Hollywood

    Walt Disney goes to Hollywood
    [href='http://www.justdisney.com/walt_disney/biography/long_bio.html'](href='http://www.justdisney.com/walt_disney/biography/long_bio.html')In August of 1923, Walt Disney left Kansas City for Hollywood with nothing but a few drawing materials, $40 in his pocket and a completed animated and live-action film. Walt's brother, Roy 0. Disney, was already in California, with an immense amount of sympathy and encouragement, and $250. Pooling their resources, they borrowed an additional $500, and constructed a camera stand in their uncle's garage. Soon, they received an order from New York for the first "Alice Comedy" featurette, and the br
  • Walt Disney's Family

    Walt Disney's Family
    Walt's lifeOn July 13, 1925, Walt married one of his first employees, Lillian Bounds, in Lewiston, Idaho. They were blessed with two daughters: Diane, married to Ron Miller, former president and chief executive officer of Walt Disney Productions; and Sharon Disney Lund, who served as a member of Disney's Board of Directors and passed away in 1993. The Millers have seven children and Mrs. Lund had three.
  • Mickey Mouse was born

    Mickey Mouse was born
    It was a squeaky sounding mouse with big ears that would go on to be Walt Disney's biggest success. "Mickey Mouse" was born on the 18th of November, 1928. Mickey Mouse, originally a theater animation, appeared on the big screen for the first time on November 18, 1928.
  • The start of his career

    The start of his career
    His talents were first used in a silent cartoon entitled Plane Crazy. However, before the cartoon could be released, sound was introduced upon the motion picture industry. Steamboat Willie, the world's first synchronized sound cartoon, which premiered at the Colony Theater in New York on November 18, 1928
  • Wlat creates the movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

    Wlat creates the movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
    Snow White TrailerCreation of Snow WhiteIn 1934 he began work on a version of the classic fairy tale Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), a project that required great organization and coordination of studio talent and a task for which Disney possessed a unique capacity. While he actively engaged in all phases of creation in his films, he functioned chiefly as coordinator and final decision maker rather than as designer and artist. Snow White was widely acclaimed by critics and audiences alike as an amusing and sentimental romance.
  • Oscar Awards

    Oscar Awards
    Walt Disney is voted a special Oscar for Snow White. Shirley Temple presents him with a special statuette--one large Oscar and seven small Oscars. At the same ceremony, "Ferdinand The Bull" wins for Best Short Subject Cartoon.
  • Disney's studio grows

    Disney's studio grows
    In 1940, construction was completed on the Burbank Studio, and Disney's staff swelled to more than 1,000 artists, animators, story men, and technicians.
  • Voice of MIckey

    Voice of MIckey
    Even though Walt Disney gets much of the credit and acknowledgment for creating the famous mouse, it is believed that his friend Ub Iwerks actually created Mickey Mouse. Walt Disney was the voice of Mickey Mouse up until 1946.
  • Disnay's Anniversary and Opening of Disneyland

    Disnay's Anniversary and Opening of Disneyland
    Disneyland OpeningDisneylandThe Disney's, celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary, send out invitations to 300 people, friends & co-workers for the opening of Disneyland. In 1955 the park consisted of 5 "lands": Main Street, Fantasyland, Adventureland, Frontierland, and Tomorrowland.
  • Walt Disney's dream came true

    Walt Disney's dream came true
    Walt Disney's dream of a clean, and organized amusement park, came true, as Disneyland Park opened in 1955. As a fabulous $17-million magic kingdom, soon had increased its investment tenfold, and by the beginning of its second quarter-century, had entertained more than 200 million people, including presidents, kings and queens, and royalty from all over the globe.
  • Plans for California Inistute of Arts

    Plans for California Inistute of Arts
    California Inistute of ArtsWalt and Roy establish plans to create the California Institute of the Arts through the merger of two financially distressed professional schools, the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music, founded in 1883, and the Chouinard Art Institute, founded in 1921.
  • Walt Disney dies

    Walt Disney dies
    His deathLos Angeles, Dec. 15--Walt Disney, who built his whimsical cartoon world of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs into a $100-million-a-year entertainment empire, died in St. Joseph's Hospital here this morning. He was 65 years old.His death, at 9:35 A.M., was attributed to acute circulatory collapse.