January 12th
1628:
Author Charles Perrault is born in Paris, France. (He will go on to write some of the world's best known fairy tales, such as
Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Little Red Riding Hood.)
1936:
The New York Times publishes an interview with H.G. Wells (the author of such classics as The Invisible Man). Wells refers to Walt Disney as a "genius."
1957:
Academy Award-winning director-writer-producer John Lasseter (of Disney's Toy Story films) is born in Hollywood, California.
1975:
Chase Hampton, a member of the 90's TV show "The All New Mickey Mouse Club," is born in Oklahoma.
1999:
Actress Betty Lou Gerson, who supplied the voice for Cruella De Vil in Disney's "101 Dalmatians," and provided the narration for "Cinderella," dies in Los Angeles, California.
2000:
Marc Davis, one of Disney's "Nine Old Men" (a core group of early animators) dies in California at age 86. He masterminded the designs of heroines and villainesses like Cinderella and Cruella de Vil. After leaving animation in 1961, Davis had a hand in designing rides for the Disney parks.
2001:
Downtown Disney, a separate restaurant, shopping and nightclub zone beside Disneyland's new park, officially opens to the public. This new center links the two theme parks and the three Disneyland Resort hotels. AMC Theatres also debuts its newest megaplex in Downtown Disney. The theaters are housed in a 60,000-square-foot building showcasing architectural features reminiscent of the golden age of Hollywood.
Disney and McDonald's start a New Collect-and-Build Happy Meal campaign starring Buzz Lightyear, the interstellar hero from Disney/Pixar's Toy Story and Toy Story 2 movies and an all-new animated television series.
2003:
A groundbreaking ceremony takes place in Hong Kong to mark the official start of the construction phase of a new Disney park.
JANUARY 12
Construction began on Disney World's
Grand Floridian Resort & Spa in 1986.