this day in disney history

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3/19

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]1892:
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]C[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]omic & character a[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]ctor Don Barclay, the voice of the Doorman in Disney's 1950 animated classic [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Cinderella[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif], is born in Ashland, Oregon.[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] (Although some sources show his birth date to be December 26, 1892.) Barclay's vast Disney credits include [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Mary Poppins[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif], [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]One Hundred and One Dalmatians[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif], [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Peter Pan[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif], and [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Alice in Wonderland[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].
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1928:

Disney's Oswald the Lucky Rabbit black & white silent short Bright Lights is
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released. [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]It is directed by Walt Disney himself with Hugh Harman and Rollin "Ham" Hamilton providing the animation. In this short, Oswald attempts to see a female performer for free by sneaking backstage!
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1947:

Stage & screen actress Glenn Close - the voice of Kala in Disney's Tarzan and Tarzan
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II - is born in Greenwich, Connecticut. She also played the role of Cruella de Vil in both live-action
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features 101 Dalmatians and its sequel 102 Dalmatians. (Close is best known for her role as deranged stalker Alex
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Forrest in the 1987 Fatal Attraction and more recently the FX TV series Damages[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].)
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1959:

Disney, Oklahoma ("The Island City") is officially incorporated.
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The town is named for former Oklahoma Legislator Wesley E. Disney (who is of no relation to Walt Disney).
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Walt Disney Productions releases The gy Dog - the studio's first live-action
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comedy. The film centers around Wilby Daniels (played by Tommy Kirk), a teenage boy who is
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transformed into a sheep dog when he accidentally happens across a magical but cursed Borgia ring. Fred

MacMurray (in his first of what will be 7 Disney films) plays Wilby's father Wilson Daniels. Also appearing are
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such familiar "Disney teens" as Annette Funicello, Tim Considine, and Kevin Corcoran. Veteran Disney voice
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actor Paul Frees has a rare on-screen appearance in the film as well!
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Also released - the fifteenth People and Places film Cruise of the Eagle and
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the live-action short Nature's Strangest Creatures[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].
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1995:

The Penny Arcade, the Main Street Bookstore, and the House of Magic (all located on Main Street USA in Walt Disney World) close. The space will become part of the Main Street Athletic Company
2001:

Barbra Streisand, backed by a symphony orchestra, records "Some Day
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My Prince Will Come," for Buena Vista Home Entertainment's DVD
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edition of the 1937 Disney classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
2005:

West Coast Singers presents "The Beauty of Broadway: An Evening With Susan
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Egan and the West Coast Singers," a benefit concert for the chorus which
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includes a silent auction. The event takes place at the Barnsdall Art Park in Hollywood. (Egan's
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Disney credits include Hercules, Lady and the Tramp II, the Disney Channel's Gotta Kick It Up and
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Broadway's Beauty and the Beast.)
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Disneyland Resort Paris kicks off the special season event
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"Disney's Easter Festival".
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After nearly a year of refurbishment, the Fantasyland attraction It's A Small
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World reopens in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. The aging attraction
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received a new sound system, paint, lighting, costumes for the dolls, and queue configuration.
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For the second consecutive year, Raven-Symoné wins an NAACP Image Award
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in the Outstanding Performance in the Youth/Children's Program category for
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her starring role on Disney Channel's That's So Raven.
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Seventy-five statues of Mickey Mouse (created to celebrate Mickey’s 75th
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birthday) are unveiled at the Woodrow Wilson Plaza in front of the Ronald
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Reagan Building and International Trade Center. The Washington, D.C. exhibition is the
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only place, outside of Disneyland and Walt Disney World, where all 75 statues will be exhibited together
2007:

The trailer for Pirates 3: At World's End debuts to the general public during ABC-TV's Dancing with the Stars
2008:

The 15th International Flower & Garden Festival kicks off at Epcot. This year's event has been expanded to 75 days.
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Walt Disney World Boys and Girls Club (located in Orlando's Pine Hills) opens.

Made possible in part from a $1 million contribution from Disney, the club offers educational programs.

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After more than a year of negotiations, Disney Cruise Line and Port Canaveral strike a deal that will keep Disney ships sailing out of Brevard County, Florida for the next 15 years.
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2010:
The Alamo honors the life of actor Fess Parker, who played Davy Crockett in the Disney miniseries Davy Crockett King of The Wild Frontier, with a tribute at the Texas historical shrine. Parker passed away at his home in California, yesterday Thursday, March 18.

 

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3/20

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]1942:
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]T[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]he Disney short [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Symphony Hour[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] featuring Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck,
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]and Goofy is released. [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]In this cartoon, Mickey leads a radio orchestra who performs the overture to
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]"Light Cavalry" (by Franz von Suppé). The sponsor Mr. Macaroni (played by Pegleg Pete) loves the rehearsal.
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]But come the actual performance, Goofy drops all the instruments under an elevator, and they sound like toys.
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Sylvester Macaroni hates it, but the audience loves it anyway.
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1948:

At the 20th Academy Awards in Los Angeles, Disney wins
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2 Oscars for the film Song of the South. Allie Wrubel & Ray Gilbert win for their song "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-
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Dah," and actor James Baskett wins an Honorary Award for his heartwarming portrayal of Uncle Remus. This makes
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Baskett the first black male to ever win an Academy Award and the first actor to win an Oscar for a performance in a
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Disney feature. (Sadly he will pass away less than 4 months later at the age of 44.) Although nominated,
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Disney's Chip 'n' Dale loses out to Warner Bros.' Tweetie Pie[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] in the Short Subjects, Cartoon category.
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1958:

Actress Holly Hunter, the voice of Helen Parr/Elastigirl in the 2004
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Disney/Pixar animated The Incredibles, is born in Conyers, Georgia.
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Her credits include the Touchstone Pictures films O Brother, Where Art Thou? and Moonlight Mile[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].
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1964:

Beatle George Harrison escorts Disney teen star Hayley Mills (and her mother
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Mary Hayley Bell) to a midnight matinee charity benefit showing of the film
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Charade[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] at the Regal Cinema in Henley-on-Thames.
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1986:

T[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]okyo Disneyland welcomes its 30-millionth guest!
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1991:

A jury in Los Angeles awards singer Peggy Lee more than 3.8-million dollars in videocassette profits for her singing and songwriting in Disney's animated classic Lady and the Tramp. [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif](A judge will later reduce the award to $2.3-million.) The singer had been paid only $3,500 for co-writing six songs and providing the voice for 4 characters in the 1955 film.
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2008:

M[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]adame Tussauds New York unveils a wax figure of the wildly popular teen actress-singer Miley Cyrus (known for her Disney role of Hanna Montana).
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3/21

1927:
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The Alice Comedy Alice in the Alps - starring Margie Gay - is released
1936:

Mika Mis[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif], the first official Disney magazine to be published in Serbia, makes its debut. It is launched by Aleksandar J. Ivkovic.
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1936:

The Disney Studio Commisary, located on Mickey Avenue, opens for the first time
1946:

Actor Timothy Peter Dalton, the voice of Mr. Pricklepants in Toy Story 3, is born in Wales. (Best known for portraying James Bond in the 1980s in The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill,
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Dalton began his film career with the 1968 feature The Lion in Winter[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].)
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1958:

Actor and filmmaker Gary Oldman is born in London, England. Frequently cast as
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eccentric villains and morally corrupt characters, he portrays Jacob Marley, Bob Cratchit, and Tiny Tim in
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Disney's 2009 A Christmas Carol[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].
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1962:

Actor Matthew Broderick, the voice of the adult Simba in Disney's
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The Lion King, The Lion King II: Simba's Pride and The Lion King 1½, is born in New York City. He also stars in Disney's live-action Inspector Gadget.
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Comedian-turned-TV host Rosie O'Donnell, the voice of Terk in Disney's Tarzan[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif], is born in Commack, New York.
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1975:

Disneyland's Mission to Mars opens in Tomorrowland. Designed in cooperation with NASA, the show replaces Flight to the Moon (opened since 1967). Guests enter a viewing area known as Mission Control, which is modeled after a typical mission control center featuring seated Audio-Animatronic "technicians" whose backs are to the audience. Facing the audience is an Audio-Animatronic named Mr. Johnson who hosts the show with film clips about space travel. After the pre-show, guests board their spacecraft - a circular theater with stadium-like seating featuring circular flat screens on the ceiling and floor. It is here they experience a trip to Mars.
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Disney's live-action adventure feature Escape to Witch Mountain is released. [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Two mysterious orphan children (played by Kim Richards & Ike Eisenmann) with extraordinary powers are chased by a scheming millionaire (Ray Milland). A cynical widower (Eddie Albert) helps the brother & sister "escape to witch mountain."
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1996:

D[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]isneyland unveils its long-awaited plans to renovate Tomorrowland. They include replacing the slow PeopleMover with a faster new attraction, Rocket Rods. The extensive project is due for completion in Spring 1998.
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2003:

Columnist Mike Thomas describes his trip to the Magic Kingdom
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to escape the current realities of war in an Orlando Sentinel [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]article titled "Ta-da! Disney's magic makes war disappear."
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2006:

Disney's 2005 animated feature Chicken Little [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]comes to DVD.
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3/22

1909:
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Disney Legend and animator Milt Kahl is born in San Francisco, California.
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One of Walt's "Nine Old Men," he started his career, at just 16 years of age, in the art department of the
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Oakland Post Enquirer (later called the Oakland Tribune) doing pasteups, layouts and spot cartoons - for $25 a week. Kahl first joined the Walt Disney Studios at age 25 in June 1934. Over the next 42
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years he helped bring to life such classics as Pinocchio, Bambi, Song of the South, Alice In
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Wonderland, Lady and the Tramp, Robin Hood, and The Rescuers
1935:

Disney's 50th Silly Symphony cartoon The Golden Touch (directed by Walt Disney and animated by Norm Ferguson & Fred Moore) is released. [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Greedy King Midas is granted his wish that everything he touches turns to gold. But his wish turns sour when everyone and everything he loves - including food - turns to gold as well!
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1947:

Voice actor and impressionist Tony Pope is born in Cleveland, Ohio. He did a parade
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of voices for the Little Golden Books-and-Records series and the classic Disney read-alongs. His
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Disneyland Records work led to voicing Goofy for eleven years in films, theme park rides, and cartoons.
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1975:

The Lake Buena Vista Village, an area of shops along the shores of Lake Buena
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Vista at Walt Disney World, officially opens. It provides the first non-park
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shopping at Disney World and is promoted as a "restful shopping atmosphere similar to a New England
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seaside village." (It will be renamed Walt Disney World Village before being re-christened as the more
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]familiar Disney Village Marketplace.)
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1985:

Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend, a film about an American couple who find a
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family of surviving Apatosaurs (Brontosaurus) in Central Africa, is released. It is
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Disney's Touchstone Pictures third release and features the music of Jerry Goldsmith
1998:

In Anaheim, California, the Grand Hotel, located just east of Harbor Blvd on
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Freedman Way, is imploded at 6:45 a.m. by Controlled Demolition, Incorporated in a
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blast that lasts just over twenty seconds. A crowd of about 200 spectators watch from the Santa Ana
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freeway's Freedman Way off ramp. Other spectators observe the building's destruction from their rooms in the
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Disneyland and Disneyland Pacific Hotels, and even atop the Matterhorn. The metal components of the building will be recycled, and the concrete will be pulverized on-site to form the base of the new
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Disneyland parking area
2006:

The "Happiest Balloon On Earth" takes to the air for the very first time in
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Pendleton, Oregon at Wildhorse Resort. The test flight lasts an hour and is captured on video
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from the ground and a following helicopter. Celebrating Disneyland's 50th anniversary, the Mickey-shaped
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balloon (also known as "Ear Force One") will officially begin an 11-week tour in Tucson, Arizona on March 30
2009:

Typhoon Lagoon, Walt Disney World's 56-acre water park reopens
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]after being closed for refurbishment.
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2/23

1905:
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Film, television and theater actress Joan Crawford is born in San Antonio, Texas.
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Known for her appearances in such features as Grand Hotel and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, in 1955 she became involved with the Pepsi-Cola Company, through her marriage to company president Alfred Steele. After his death in 1959, Crawford was elected to fill his vacancy on the board of directors. It was Crawford who suggested that Pepsi contact Walt Disney to build an idea for a "little boat ride" for the 1964/65 World's Fair[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] in New York!
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1912:

Wernher Von Braun, one of the world's foremost space scientist, is born
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in Wirsitz, Germany. A rocket physicist, astronautics engineer and space architect, Von
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Braun helped produce the Disney "Man In Space" TV episodes in the 1950s. His Saturn V
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booster rocket made possible the first Moon landing in July 1969. Von Braun helped establish
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and promote the National Space Institute, a precursor of the present-day National Space Society,
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in 1975, and became its first president and chairman
1950:

Bobby Driscoll is given a special award at the Academy Awards, for outstanding juvenile actor of 1949. He had portrayed Jerry in Disney's 1949 So Dear to My Heart (and earlier the role of Johnny in Disney's 1946 Song of the South.) The Best Song award goes to "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (written by Frank Loesser for Neptune's Daughter) beating out "Lavender Blue" (written by Eliot Daniel & Larry Morey) from Disney's So Dear to My Heart
1967:

Disney's 17-minute cartoon Scrooge McDuck and Money
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is released. It is Uncle Scrooge's first major animated appearance
1969:

At Disneyland, 100 Volkswagen Beetles parade down Main Street to celebrate Herbie Day (to promote The Love Bug[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] film).
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1973:

Disney's live-action Charley and the Angel, starring Fred
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MacMurray, Cloris Leachman, Harry Morgan, and Kurt
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Russell, is released. Set during the Depression, a crotchety & frugal
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shopkeeper named Charley (MacMurray) is visited by an angel (Morgan), who
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shows him what will happen if he doesn't change the error of his ways.
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Nominated for a Golden Globe, it is MacMurray's[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] 7th and final Disney film.
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1975:

The Wonderful World of Disney airs the episode "Welcome To The World." Hosted by actress/singer Lucie Arnaz, the show celebrates the opening of the Magic Kingdom's new thrill ride Space Mountain!
1987:

T[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]he Walt Disney Company signs a contract with the French national, regional and local governments, which promises Disney: favorable loan terms; that the rapid transit railway system will be extended to the theme park from Paris; that two interchanges will be built to link Euro Disneyland with a main highway; and that a special station for high-speed trains will be constructed at the park.
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1990:

Disney's Touchstone Pictures releases Pretty Woman, a romantic comedy starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts and directed by Garry Marshall
1996:

The Walt Disney Company and McDonald's Corporation sign a 10-year multi-national promotional alliance, set to begin in January 1997
2003:

An animated 3D Mickey Mouse presents the Best Animated Short Oscar (to The ChubbChubbs!) at the 75th Annual Academy Awards hosted by Steve Martin. The Disney distributed Spirited Away is awarded Best Animated Feature, beating out Lilo & Stitch and Treasure Planet. Chicago (a Miramax Film - a division of The Walt Disney Company) wins 5 Oscars!
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T[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]he Main Street Electrical Parade gives its last performance at Disneyland Paris.
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2007:

The new trailer for Disney/Pixar's Ratatouille premieres
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during an episode of Cory in the House on Disney Channel.
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Starting on this day, Lewis, Wilbur Robinson, and Bowler Hat Guy from
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Meet the Robinsons meet and greet guests at the Disney-MGM Studios
2008:

Roger Federer, the world’s No. 1 ranked men’s professional tennis player, attempts to "pull the sword from the stone" in Fantasyland at Disney World's Magic Kingdom. Federer is visiting Disney World during Easter weekend before heading to Miami for the 2008 Sony Ericsson Open​

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2/24

1901:
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Legendary Disney animator, pioneer and mechanical genius Ub Iwerks is born Ubbe Ert Iwwerks in Kansas City, Missouri. (His unusual name is of Dutch origin.) He will be Walt Disney's right hand man in the creation of the early Mickey Mouse cartoons and later develop many special visual effects for features such as Song of the South and Mary Poppins. Iwerks will be known for his fast work at drawing and animation and his wacky sense of humor. He will be named a Disney Legend in 1989
1905:

French novelist Jules Verne, author of such classics as From the Earth to the Moon, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and Around the World in 80 Days, passes at age 77 in France. In his stories, Verne predicted the use of hydrogen as an energy source and many future modern
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conveniences and technological inventions such as skyscrapers, submarines,
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helicopters, and airplanes! Often referred to as the "Father of Science Fiction," Verne's
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]work will inspire many including Walt Disney.
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1934:

Disney's Silly Symphony Easter-themed cartoon Funny Little Bunnies is released
1956:

At Disneyland, the Astro-Jets open for business in Tomorrowland. A forerunner of today’s Astro Orbitor, Astro-Jets will close in 1966
1972:

Disneyland's version of the Country Bear Jamboree opens in Bear Country. Sponsored first by Pepsi Cola, it is the second version of the attraction (as the first opened in WDW in October 1971). Disneyland's Country Bear Jamboree will run until September 9, 2001
1982:

The television series Herbie The Love Bug[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] airs episode #2 - "Herbie to the Rescue."
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2002:

Randy Newman's "If I Didn't Have You" - from Disney's Monsters, Inc. - is
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awarded an Oscar for Best Song at the 2001 Academy Awards (held at
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the Kodak Theatre). After 15 nominations, it is Newman's first Oscar win! Although
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nominated for Best Animated Picture, Monsters, Inc. is edged out by Shrek
2003:

Starting this day, the El Capitan Theatre presents Piglet's Big Movie.
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Business Week[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] magazine publishes an image of Disney's Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket characters for an article about lying on applications to business schools.
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2006:

Actress Miley Cyrus (the 13-year-old daughter of actor & singer Billy
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Ray Cyrus) stars on Disney Channel's Hannah Montana with the debut episode
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"Lily, Do You Want To Know a Secret?". Miley plays 14-year-old Miley
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Stewart/Hannah Montana, who leads a double life. She lives with her older
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]brother and widower father (played by her real-life dad Billy Ray).
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2009:

The much anticipated 5-disc set Walt Disney and the 1964 World's Fair is finally released. A rare behind-the-scenes look at Walt Disney's contribution to the Fair, it includes a 24-page full color booklet and more than three hours of recordings from the classic attractions and exhibits designed by Disney​

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3/25

1909:
Songwriter Jerry Livingston is born in Denver, Colorado. He will co-write "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-
Boo" & "A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes" (for Disney's Cinderella) along with Mack David and Al
Hoffman. (Along with David he will also write "This Is It!" - undoubtedly familiar to fans of Bugs Bunny.)

1947:
Singer, songwriter & pianist Elton John - the man behind the music for Disney's The Lion King and Aida - is born Reginald Kenneth Dwight in Pinner, Middlesex, England. In his four-decade career, John has been one of the dominant forces in rock and popular music

1954:
Disney is awarded 4 Oscars at the 1953 Academy Awards. The Short
Subjects, Cartoon category is won by Disney's Toot Whistle Plunk and Boom. Disney's True-Life Adventure
Bear Country wins an Oscar for Short Subjects, Two-Reel (ironically beating out Disney's Ben and Me). The
Disney/RKO The Alaskan Eskimo is awarded for Documentary, Short Subject and The True-Life
Adventure The Living Desert wins for Documentary, Feature

1964:
The live-action Disney feature The Misadventures of Merlin Jones - starring Tommy Kirk, Annette Funicello, and Leon Ames - premieres in New York

1969:
U.S. President Richard Nixon presents Lillian Disney with a special Commemorative Medal (authorized byCongress)
honoring her late husband Walt.
The medal, designed by C. Robert Moore of Walt Disney
Productions and struck by the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia, bears a likeness of Walt Disney on one side and Mickey Mouse on
the other. The presentation takes place in the State Dining Room at the White House. Among the guests are some 200
third and fourth grade Washington, D.C. area schoolchildren

"Mrs. Disney, members of the Disney family, ladies and gentlemen, and all of our younger guests here today. Many ceremonies are held in this White House, but none that I

think will have more meaning to all of us, young and old, than

this one today, because it is my great privilege to present to Mrs. Walt Disney, on behalf of the Congress of the United States, by reason of a joint resolution, and on behalf of all the people of the United States and, I think, of the world, a gold medal; a gold medal honoring Walt Disney for his service through so many years not only to the people of the United Sates, but to the people of the world." -President Nixon



"I am very grateful to be here, and to see all of you wonderful children who knew him and loved him, too. I think this is a wonderful time in our life. Thank you." -Lillian Disney

1986:
Walt Disney World welcomes Don McGrath - the 500 millionth guest to enter a Disney park!

1991:
Touchstones Pictures' ________ Tracy walks away with 3 Oscars at the 1990
Academy Awards (held at the Shrine Civic Auditorium in Los Angeles)
including one for Best Song - Sooner Or Later (I Always Get My Man).

1996:
Animator John Lasseter accepts the Academy Award for Special Achievement for
his "inspired leadership of the Disney/Pixar Toy Story Team resulting in the first
feature-length computer animated film."
Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz win Best Song for their "Colors of the Wind,"
from Pocahontas (beating out Randy Newman's "You've Got a Friend in Me" from
Toy Story). The Oscar for Original Musical or Comedy Score also goes to Menken &
Schwartz for their work on Disney's Pocahontas (once again beating out Randy
Newman's score for Toy Story).
Although Joss Whedon, Andrew Stanton, Joel Cohen and Alec Sokolow are nominated for their work on Toy
Story, the Oscar for Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen is given to Christopher McQuarrie for his The
Usual Suspects.

2000:
A joint press premiere takes place at Disneyland Paris for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril: Backwards! (a refitted version of the attraction) and The Tarzan Encounter (a stage show). Official openings will take place April 1

2003:
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is released on
a 2-disc DVD set and a special edition VHS

2006:
Richard Fleischer - 2003 Disney Legend & veteran director of Disney's 1954 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea - passes away at age 89 in California. The son of animator Max Fleischer, Richard's directing credits include such well-known motion pictures as Fantastic Voyage, Doctor Dolittle, Tora! Tora! Tora!, Soylent Green, and The Jazz Singer.

 

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3/26

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]1906:
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]C[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]ontinental cinema representative and 1997 [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Disney Legend[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] Wally Feignoux is born in Paris, France. [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]During the 1930s and 40s, he will represent Disney's interests to its motion picture distributor at the time, RKO, and make heroic contributions while keeping the Disney's Paris office open during the Nazi occupation, between 1939 and 1945[/FONT]
1907:

Academy Award-winning composer, arranger & scorer Leigh Harline, whose music appears in such Disney classics as Pinocchio, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and many of the Silly Symphony shorts, is born in Salt Lake City, Utah. Among his best known melodies ... "When You Wish Upon a Star," "Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee," "Give a Little Whistle," "I've Got No Strings," and "Some Day My Prince Will Come." (He will be inducted a Disney Legend[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] in 2001.)
​

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1931:

Actor Leonard Nimoy, the voice of King Kashekim Nedakh in Disney's 2001 release Atlantis: The Lost Empire, is born in Boston, Massachusetts. (Sci-fi fans know Nimoy best as Mr. Spock from Star Trek[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].)
​

[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

1948:

Singer-songwriter Steven Tyler, who appears with his band
​

Aerosmith in Disney's Rock 'n' Roller Coaster attraction, is born
​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Steven Victor Tallarico in Yonkers, New York.
​

[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

1950:

Actor Martin Short - the voice of B.E.N. in Disney's 2002 animated feature Treasure
​

Planet and the voice of Lars in 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure - is
​

born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The narrator of Epcot's The Making of Me and O Canada, he
​

can also be seen in the 2006 The Santa Clause 3 as Jack Frost! (Comedy fans will know Short from his work on
​

SCTV and SNL and for his memorable characters Jiminy Glick and Ed Grimely.)
​

​

Film score composer & conductor Alan Silvestri is born in New York City. His music can
​

be heard in Disney's 1986 Flight of the Navigator, 1988 Who Framed Roger Rabbit, 1998 remake of The Parent
​

Trap, 2002 Lilo & Stitch and the 2009 A Christmas Carol
1994:

A[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]t Disney's EPCOT, Food Rocks - an animatronic musical food group revue - replaces Kitchen Kabaret (which has been closed since January).
​

[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

2004:

An article titled "Hats off to 'Davy,' Fess Parker" (by Susan Wloszczyna)
​

appears in USA TODAY. Parker is best known for his role of Davy
​

Crockett in the Disneyland TV series

Roy Disney gives a speech to the Council of Institutional Investors in Washington, D.C. He discusses the ongoing situation at The Walt Disney Company and the relationship between the owners of public companies and their stewards
2005:

Radio Disney AM 1110 and the City of Burbank Park, Recreation
​

and Community Services Department host the 7th Annual Easter Eggs-plosion 2005 event at Johnny Carson Park in Burbank, California.
​

​

Robert Iger makes his first move at the helm of Disney when he reassignes Peter Murphy, the company's Chief Strategic Officer, and pledges to disband the company's strategic planning division. [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif](The division, which was created by Michael Eisner, has been charged by many with stifling creativity under a superfluous layer of bureaucracy.) Iger's first official day as CEO won't begin until October 1.
​

[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

2007:

It is reported that Carnegie Mellon’s Entertainment Technology Center has teamed up with Walt Disney Parks and electronics company Siemens to create a collection of arcade games called Project Spaceship Earth for Disney’s Epcot. [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]The project is part of a 12-year alliance between Siemens (a technology company devoted to creating a wide range of products, including communications, transportation, and power technologies) and Disney. The attraction, which will occupy 9000 sqaure feet, will take the form of several exhibits that relate to health care, transportation, and energy.
​

[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]A 10-year-old giraffe named Nikki gives birth to a calf,
​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] named Rori, at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
​

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3/27

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]1901:
​

[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]C[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]artoonist Carl Barks is born to Arminta & William Barks on a farm in Merrill, Oregon. [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]He will draw Donald Duck comic books (starting in 1943) for 3 decades and invent Duckburg
​

[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]and many of its inhabitants, such as Scrooge McDuck and Gladstone Gander. The quality of his scripts
​

[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]and drawings will earn him the nick names The Duck Man and The Good Duck Artist.
​

[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif](He will be inducted a [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Disney Legend[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] in 1991.)
​

[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

1952:

The first public announcement of Walt Disney's plans to build Disneyland are printed in the Burbank Daily Review with the headline:
​

"Walt Disney Make-Believe Land Project Planned Here — $1.5 Million Dreamland To Rise On Site In Burbank."
​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif](At this time Walt's plans call for the park to be built near his studios in Burbank, California.)
​

[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

1957:

The Disneyland television series airs "Donald's Award."
​

Walt explains that his cartoon family at the studio has been fun to work with, but also stresses that like most families, his has a problem child ... Donald Duck, whose bad conduct has gotten so out of hand that something has to be done about it. Walt decides to give Donald an award for good conduct if he can keep his conduct in check for just a week. To make sure that such a request is upheld, Walt sends Jiminy Cricket to keep an eye on the duck, particularly when the complaint box suddenly turns up empty!
​

​

Although Disney's Cow Dog and Somoa are both nominated for Short Subjects, Two-Reel, The Bespoke Overcoat takes home the Oscar at the 1956 Academy Awards. Disney's Man in Space (nominated for Documentary, Short Subjecys) is edged out by True Story of the Civil War.
​

​

The Ingersoll-Waterbury Company[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] presents Walt Disney with the 25-millionth Mickey Mouse watch during a ceremony at Disneyland!
​

[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

1970:

Actress Elizabeth Mitchell, Mrs. Claus/Carol Calvin in Disney's 2006 live-action feature The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, is born in Los Angeles, California. She first played Santa's wife in the 2002 The Santa Claus 2: The Mrs. Clause[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].

1985:
​

Legendary actor Bob Hope is on hand for Disney-MGM's official groundbreaking on a
​

135-acre plot of land located one mile southwest of Epcot. [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif](The park will open 4 years later.)
​

[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

1995:

Elton John and Tim Rice are presented with the Oscar for Best Song in a motion picture for The Lion King's "Can You Feel The Love Tonight." Disney's animated feature also receives an award for Original Score - by Hans Zimmer. David Letterman hosts the 67th Academy Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium
1999:

The rededication of the E. P. Ripley, Disneyland Railroad's Steam Engine No. 2 takes place at Disneyland. The train - which has been in service since the park's opening day in 1955 - was considered Walt Disney's favorite attraction. It has been totally restored
Disneyland announces it has acquired a new locomotive, Disneyland Railroad engine No. 5, that will be dedicated under the name "Ward Kimball" in Ward's honor. The newly acquired engine is currently undergoing restoration and will have custom paintings of Jiminy Cricket by Mr. Kimball on either side of the headlamp
2008:

A baby giraffe named AJ enters the world at Disney's Animal Kingdom. [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]The calf (the third giraffe to be born this year at the theme park) stands at about six feet tall, and weighs in at 145 pounds.
​

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3/28

1910:
​

Original Mouseketeer MC & 1992 Disney Legend Jimmie Dodd, the adult leader on television's Mickey Mouse Club, is born in Cincinnati, Ohio. A talented guitarist and musician, Dodd was originally hired by Walt Disney as a music writer. He went on to write and compose "The Mickey Mouse Club March" and all the daily opening songs for the show.
​

(In 1937, a young Dodd traveled to Hollywood to play in a band led by Louis Prima ... who would later contribute greatly to Disney's animated feature The Jungle Book[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].)
​

[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

1941:

The Disney short A Gentleman's Gentleman featuring Pluto is released. [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Directed by Clyde Geronimi, Mickey Mouse sends Pluto out to get the Sunday paper, but the pooch looses the dime in a grate. His effort to retrieve the coin with bubble gum only makes things messy.
​

[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

1958:

The Disneyland Railroad’s newest engine; the Fred S. Gurley Engine No. 3, is
​

commissioned into service. Built in 1894 by Baldwin Locomotive Works, it is
​

named for 1958 Santa Fe Railroad President Fred Gurley. Originally in service since 1895 (it had been used
​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]to haul sugar cane on a New Orleans plantation), it is the oldest of any of the engines in the Disney Parks.

1987:
​

The very first Disney Store opens - in the Glendale Galleria in Glendale, California. It is Disney's first retail store outside of a theme park or resort
1997:

The Atlanta Braves put Disney's Wide World of Sports into
​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]motion when their exhibition game with the Cincinnati Reds launches competitive play at the brand new sports complex in Florida.
​

[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

1998:

In Florida, animator Marc Davis (one of Walt's "Nine Old Men")
​

adds his signature and handprints in cement in front of the Mann's Chinese Theater replica at the Disney-MGM Studios
1999:

The Wonderful World of Disney airs the movie "Balloon Farm." [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Rip Torn plays Harvey H. Potter, a friendly newcomer to a drought-ravaged farm town, who surprises everyone by growing an amazing crop of brilliantly colored balloons in his field.
​

[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

2004:

Three-time Emmy-winning, two-time Oscar winning actor, Oscar-nominated
​

screenwriter, Grammy-winning narrator, published playwright, novelist and
​

short-story writer Peter Ustinov passes at age 82 in Genolier, Switzerland. He
​

starred in Disney's 1968 live-action feature Blackbeard's Ghost as Captain Blackbeard and was the voice of
​

Prince John and King Richard in Disney's 1973 animated feature Robin Hood[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].
​

[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

2008:

Hong Kong Disneyland announces the countdown to the launch of the "It’s a Small World" attraction, scheduled to open April 28, 2008. The attraction will feature over 200 hundred Audio-Animatronics figures representing children from around the world (dressed in their national costumes), landmarks from numerous countries and, for the first time ever, 38 Disney characters.
​

​

A circuit breaker trips at Disney's Epcot Center, causing parts of the
​

park to lose power and some rides to close down temporarily
​

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3/29

1909:
​

Director, writer, and animator Jack Kinney is born in Utah. His long career at the Walt
​

Disney Studios began in 1931 as an animator on several shorts, including Santa's Workshop, The Band Concert, and Moose Hunters. He later became a director - winning an Oscar for Der Fuehrer's Face - and worked as a sequence director on both Pinocchio and Dumbo. In 1988 Kinney published a short memoir,
​

Walt Disney and Assorted Other Characters: An Unauthorized Account of the Early Years at Disney
1943:

Comic actor, writer & film director Eric Idle - Dr. Nigel Channing of Honey, I Shrunk the Audience & Journey Into Your Imagination, and the voices of Mr. Parenthesis of TV's Hercules, and Pluto Angel in Mickey Mouse Works - is born in England. He also starred in the 1996 live-action feature Mr. Toad's Wild Ride[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] and contributed to Disney's "The Wild Soundtrack." (Comedy fans will know Idle best as a member of Monty Python's Flying Circus.)
​

[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

1954:

The ABC-Paramount board approves a deal with Walt Disney. [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]In exchange for Walt Disney's commitment to produce a weekly television series, ABC-Paramount will contribute $500,000 to Disneyland, guarantee $4.5 million in loans, and become a 34 percent owner in Disneyland, Inc. (The actual contract won't be signed until April 2.)
​

[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

1993:

At the 65th Academy Awards, "A Whole New World" - written by
​

Alan Menken and Tim Rice - from Disney's Aladdin, wins an Oscar
​

for Best Song (beating out 4 other nominations including their own
​

"Friend Like Me" - also from Aladdin). The animated feature also
​

receives an award for Original Score - composed by Alan Menken
2007:

Actor Adam West (best known as the TV's Batman & the voice of the mayor on
​

The Family Guy) who provides the voice of Uncle Art, one of the eccentric
​

Robinson family members in Walt Disney Pictures’ new computer-animated
​

comedy-adventure, Meet the Robinsons, helps kick off the El Capitan
​

Theatre’s spectacular Disney Digital 3-D engagement with a personal
​

appearance at the midnight show. Meet the Robinsons is scheduled to run at the El Capitan
​

from March 30th through May 19th. On the same program, in its first big screen appearance in 54 years, is
​

the classic 1953 3-D short, Working for Peanuts, starring Donald Duck and Chip 'n' Dale
2008:

The Golden Horseshoe Show & Celebration, a fan event, is held in
​

Anaheim, California. Although not an official Disney event, Disney Legends

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Wally Boag (the original Pecos Bill) and Imagineer Bob Gurr attend.
​

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[trr1]

3/30

1822:
The unified government of Florida is established with William P. Duval
from Kentucky as its first Territorial Governor. (Florida had becomes a U.S. territory in 1821 after the U.S. acquired it from Spain as part of a deal to cancel $5 million in debts owed by the Spanish.)
1913:
Disney animator Marc Davis - one of Walt's "Nine Old Men" - is born in Bakersfield, California. He will go on to help create such memorable Disney characters as Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Tinker Bell, and Cruella de Vil. He will also play a key role in the development of many theme park attractions - such as Pirates of the Caribbean.
1930:
Actor John Astin - Bill Andrews in Disney's 1976 Freaky Friday - is born in
Baltimore, Maryland. He also supplied voices for such Disney TV series as Higglytown Heroes and
Recess. (TV fans will recognize Astin from the 1960's classic sitcom The Addams Family.)
1968:
Two children come across the lifeless body of a homeless man in an abandoned tenement building on East 10th Street in New York City. Because no one identifies the body, the deceased is buried in an unmarked pauper's grave on Hart Island.
(A fingerprint check in 1969 will identify the corpse as Bobby Driscoll, 31, the voice of Disney's Peter Pan. It is also discovered that the cause of death is a heart attack. Sadly his long history of alcohol and drug abuse was a strong contributing factor to his early death.)
2004:
Fess Parker (known for his Disney role of Davy Crockett and later Daniel Boone) appears in Washington, D.C., to donate one of his original caps as well as a buckskin ensemble to the Smithsonian National Museum
2007:

Disney's newest animated feature Meet the Robinsons, featuring the voices of Tom Selleck, Laurie Metcalf, Angela Bassett, Nicole Sullivan, and Adam West, is released.

On the same day, Steven Anderson, director of Meet the Robinsons appears at Animation Gallery at Disney-MGM Studios to sign his new book "The Art of Meet the Robinsons."

The late Roger Broggie, Disney's original Imagineer and a 1990 Disney Legend, is honored with a window on Disneyland's Main Street. A creative mechanical engineer, Broggie's genius touched many attractions including the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad, the Disneyland Monorail, the Matterhorn Bobsleds, and the motion picture format Circle-Vision 360. His window is located on the east side of Main Street USA - appropriately above the Magic Shop
2011:
The Walt Disney Pavilion at Florida Hospital for Children has its grand opening ceremony. Hundreds are on hand to celebrate the occasion (including Bob Iger, president and CEO of The
Walt Disney Company, and Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts), which includes a moving dedication ceremony featuring inspirational stories from former pediatric patients.

 

[trr1]

3/31

1905:
​

Robert Stevenson, the only director to be nominated
​

for the Best Director Academy Award for directing a
​

Disney live-action movie - Mary Poppins - is born in
​

Buxton, Derbyshire, England. He moved to California in the
​

1940s and ended up directing 19 films for The Walt Disney Company.
​

Among his credits - the 1960 Kidnapped, based on the famous novel by
​

Robert Louis Stevenson ... ironically a descendent of director Robert
​

Stevenson! He will be inducted a Disney Legend in 2002
1929:

Voice actress Lucille Bliss, known as "the lady of a thousand voices," is born in
​

New York City. Her Disney credits include 101 Dalmatians and Cinderella (as the
​

voice of Anastasia). (She is also the voice of Smurfette on the TV animated series The Smurfs[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].)
​

[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

1945:

Award winning computer scientist and co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios Ed Catmull is born in Parkersburg, West Virginia. Pixar's tenuous evolution can be traced back to the 1970s when millionaire Alexander Schare (then president of the New York Institute of Technology) asked a young Catmull and his team (which included Alvy Ray Smith) to set up house at NYIT's Long Island campus to work with computer graphics. When their work was brought to the attention of George Lucas, they were asked to be part of Lucasfilm Ltd. Catmull and his ensemble created innovative graphics programs and equipment for Lucas, including an imaging computer called the 'Pixar.' In 1986, when Steve Jobs bought Lucasfilm's digital division and turned it into Pixar, Catmull became its the Chief Technical Officer. After Disney acquired Pixar in January 2006, Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger put Catmull and John Lasseter in charge
​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]of reinvigorating the Disney animation studios in Burbank.
​

[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

1969:

TV host Samantha Brown is born in Dallas, Texas. She is the host of several travel programs for the Travel Channel including Great Hotels (which has featured many Disney World resorts). Her Disney-theme programs also include Disney Holiday Magic with Samantha Brown and Walt Disney World Holidays. In 2011, Brown began hosting a series of Disney videos for Disney Online
1978:

Animator & Imagineer Ken Anderson retires after 44 years with the Disney
​

Company. He first joined the Disney Studio in 1934 when he drove by the studio and decided to stop in
​

and apply for a job. Anderson's art director credits include Snow White, Pinocchio, Fantasia, and The
​

Reluctant Dragon. Later, his knowledge of architecture helped Walt's realization of Disneyland. Anderson's
​

concept drawings and design work is reflected in such popular attractions as Peter Pan's Flight, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Storybook Land, and the Haunted Mansion. (He will be inducted a Disney Legend[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] in 1991.)

2001:
​

In Florida, the new Animal Kingdom Lodge holds a 3-day open
​

house for Walt Disney World Annual Passholders. The 1,307-room
​

deluxe hotel is about one mile west of the Animal Kingdom Park
2004:

After a $92 million expansion, the U.S. Army reopens its
​

military-only Walt Disney World resort Shades of Green​

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4/1

1924:
​

Disney's Alice Comedy Alice's Spooky Adventure, starring Virginia Davis, is released. [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]When a ball accidentally smashes through the window of a neighborhood haunted house, Alice is the only one brave enough to go inside to retrieve it. While in the house, she falls and bumps her head ... sending her to a cartoon dreamworld in which she rescues a cat and battles some spirits in a ghost town!
​

[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

1960:

The ABC-TV series Walt Disney Presents airs episode 26 entitled "The Mad Hermit of Chimney Butte."
​

​

Reader's Digest [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]runs the article "Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom." The article describes Disneyland - Walt's "31-million-dollar playground."
​

[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

1976:

Treasure Island reopens at Walt Disney World as Discovery Island, after being closed
​

since the beginning of the year for the addition of a walk-through aviary, exotic flora and
​

fauna, and a snack bar. This natural 11-acre island, located in the middle of Bay Lake, is a lush forest
​

environment with birds, reptiles, & mammals and hundreds of tropical specimen plants from all over the world. (In 1979
​

it will be accredited by the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums.) The only way to reach Discovery
​

Island is by one of the many ferries which depart from the Magic Kingdom, Fort Wilderness, and the Contemporary Resort
1995:

W[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]alt Disney World's water park Blizzard Beach debuts in Florida. A "melted ski resort," it is the third WDW water park (after River Country & Typhoon Lagoon).
​

[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

2000:

At Disneyland Paris, the Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril: Backwards! and the Tarzan Encounter musical stage show both open
2001:

The Main Street Electrical Parade, in the Magic Kingdom at Disney World, has its
​

last run. (The Spectromagic parade will return to the Magic Kingdom in its place.)
​

​

Effective this day, Walt Disney World combines the Port Orleans and Dixie Landings resorts
​

into a single resort called Port Orleans Riverside. The Dixie portion will be called "The Riverside" and the
​

Port portion will be called "The French Quarter." The total consolidation will occur over the next nine months
2007:

Starting on this day at Disney World, Mr. and Mrs. Easter Bunny appear
​

daily in the Tour Guide Garden at the Magic Kingdom. They will help
​

celebrate the holiday for the next 8 days.
​

​

The Travel Channel airs a marathon of Disney-related programs. Featured specials include Ultimate Walt Disney World, Disney's Imagineers, Disneyland Behind-the-Scenes, Undiscovered Walt Disney World, and Disney Cruise Line. Also shown are the series of Great Hotels hosted by Samantha Brown which feature Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Animal Kingdom Lodge, Yacht and Beach Club Resort, and Wilderness Lodge.
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4/2

1805:
​

Writer Hans Christian Andersen - known for his many classic fairy tales including
​

"The Ugly Duckling," "The Little Mermaid" and "The Little Match Girl" - is born in Odensk,
​

on the Danish island of Funen, Denmark. Andersen’s fairy tales of fantasy with moral lessons are still
​

popular today with children and adults all over the world
1908:

Actor Buddy Ebsen, who portrayed George Russel in Disney's Davy Crockett films and TV
​

shows, is born in Illinois. He also appeared in such TV specials as the 1973 Walt Disney: A Golden Anniversary
​

Salute, the 1978 NBC Salutes the 25th Anniversary of the Wonderful World of Disney, and the 2001 Walt: The Man
​

Behind the Myth. Noted for his unusual, surreal dancing and singing style, he was chosen by Walt Disney to be filmed
​

dancing (on many occassions) as an aid for his animators and Imagineers. Ebsen was inducted a Disney Legend in 1993.
​

(TV fans will remember Ebsen as Jed Clampett on the Beverly Hillbillies and as a private investigator on Barnaby Jones[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].)
​

[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

1934:

Ward Kimball (who will become one of Walt's "Nine Old Men[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]") starts work at the Disney Studio as an apprentice. Within 5 years he will become one of the studio's top animators. Among his most famous creative achievements will be ... Jiminy Cricket!
​

[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

1954:

Plans for the Disneyland Park and TV show are announced when ABC
​

and Disney Boards approve ownership and financing.
​

Walt states that the TV series will begin in October 1954 and the park will open in July 1955.
​

The TV show will be patterned after the different "lands" of his new California theme park.
​

​

Disney and ABC sign an agreement regarding the building of "Disneylandia." ABC advances Disney $500,000 in cash and guarantees all bank loans. In exchange, ABC receives 35% ownership of Disneylandia, 100% of all profits from the park's food concessions for 10 years, and an 8-year commitment from Disney for use of its library of films to be aired as one-hour television programs
1982:

Disney re-releases Fantasia for the 8th time since its 1940 original release. The soundtrack has been digitally re-recorded making it
​

the first motion picture with digital stereo sound
2001:

Spectromagic returns to the Magic Kingdom after a 2-year hiatus at Walt Disney World. The parade features an array of flowing fiber optics; holographic images, liquid-nitrogen smoke; and old-fashioned twinkle lights, precisely choreographed to an exciting original soundtrack which uses dashes
​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]of classic Disney tunes.
​

[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

2007:

Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor, a Disney World attraction in Tomorrowland, opens.
​

Replacing the Circle-Vision attraction The Timekeeper, this attraction is based upon the Disney/Pixar animated film Monsters, Inc. [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]and features the characters Mike Wazowski and Roz. The main theater is equipped with 400 seats and utilizes digital puppetry technology (similar to Epcot's voice-directed Turtle Talk with Crush). Live actors perform voices behind a large digital screens, while computer-rendered monsters appear with the actors' voices. Movable cameras are used by performers backstage to locate guests with whom they would like to interact. A Disney cast member in the theatre will then take a microphone to the selected guest so that the guest can talk to the performers!
​

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4/3

1783:
​

Writer Washington Irving is born in New York City (near present-day Wall Street). He is named after General George Washington - a hero of his parents. His classic short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow will be featured in the 1949 Disney animated feature The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. (This tale and Irving's companion piece Rip Van Winkle[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] are among the earliest American fiction still read widely today!)
​

[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

1941:

Walt Disney hosts a luncheon and conference at his studio for government officials
​

and representatives of the defense industries. With a studio strike looming, Walt feels
​

an urgency to obtain government work​

1952:
​

Walt Disney submits a sketch of "Fairy Land" to California's Recreation and Parks
​

Commissions. At this time, Walt's idea is to place "Fairy Land" somewhere between his studio and Griffith Park
1953:

Walt Disney signs a contract that will change the face of entertainment for all time. The two-page document gives Walt Disney Incorporated the right and license to use Disney’s name for all commercial purposes. By signing this document, Walt will make possible the Disneyland theme park and such TV series as Walt Disney Presents and The Wonderful World of Disney[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].
​

[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

1961:

Comedian-turned-movie star Eddie Murphy is born in Brooklyn, New York. His Disney credits
​

include the live-action The Haunted Mansion and the animated Mulan[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] (as the dragon Mushu).
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1966:

The Midget Autopia attraction in Disneyland closes (to eventually make way for a wide new path up to It’s a Small World). First making its debut in 1957, it is the third (and smallest) Autopia track. Walt Disney will donate the Midget Autopia to his boyhood hometown of Marceline, Missouri - where it will be installed in a park named in his honor
1985:

The famed Brown Derby restaurant on Vine Street in Hollywood closes after a
​

57-year history. All of the furnishings are kept, including famous Booth #5 - where actor Clark Gable proposed to actress Carole Lombard.
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(A "Brown Derby" will later be built at Disney World.
1994:
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Tragedy strikes when Disney president and Chief Operating Officer Frank Wells is
​

killed in a helicopter crash during a "heli-skiing" expedition in Nevada's Ruby
​

Mountains. He is 62. Wells helped propel the Walt Disney Company to new success by re-establishing its
​

leadership in animated features and by guiding it into new realms of comedy and dramatic films. His death will
​

spark the breakup between studio chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg and Michael Eisner (and lead to the creation of
​

Dreamworks SKG). A building constructed at The Walt Disney Studios (to house the Disney
​

Archives) in Wells' memory will open in 1998​

2006:

The Disneyland Resort 50th anniversary celebration takes to the skies over Phoenix, Arizona with a 100-foot tall, Mickey Mouse-shaped hot air balloon dubbed "The Happiest Balloon On Earth." With golden ears high atop its head, the Mickey balloon will travel throughout the western

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]United States and Canada during an 11-week tour.
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

2009:

Disney's Miramax Films releases the comedy-drama Adventureland, starring Jesse
​

Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds and Martin Starr
2010:

Disney announces the winner of its "Design a Fairy House Art Contest," during a ceremony at Epcot. The winning house, by 15-year-old Zoe P., from Frazier Park, California, was selected by DisneyToon Studios filmmakers (currently working on the upcoming Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].)
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1932:
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Comedic actress Estelle Harris - the voice of Mrs. Potato Head in Disney's Toy Story 2
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and Mrs. Turtle in the TV series House of Mouse - is born in New York City.
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Her long list of voice credits include the pet sitter, Mrs. Boogins in the animated Teacher's Pet and Mrs. Lipsky in
​

Kim Possible. Harris has also guest starred on such live-action Disney Channel shows as Phil of the Future and
​

The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. (TV fans know her as Estelle Costanza, George's mom, from the sitcom Seinfeld.
1944:

Actor Craig T. Nelson, the voice of Bob Parr/Mr. Incredible in the 2004
​

Disney-Pixar animated feature The Incredibles, is born in Spokane, Washington.
​

(TV fans will know Nelson as the star of the sitcom Coach.)
​

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RKO Pictures re-releases the film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in New York theaters
1960:

Disney animator and technical genius Ub Iwerks wins an Oscar (Scientific or Technical,
​

Class III) for the design of an optical printer for special effects at the 32nd Annual Academy
​

Awards held at the RKO Pantages Theater, Los Angeles. (An optical printer is a camera and one or
​

more projectors operating in tandem, which makes it possible to photograph a photograph. Common optical effects include
​

fade outs & fade ins, dissolves, slow motion, fast motion, and matte work.) Although nominated, Sleeping Beauty, Noah's
​

Ark, Donald in Mathmagic Land, and Mysteries of the Deep are all edged out by their competitors
1966:

Actress Nancy McKeon is born in Westbury, New York. Best remebered for her role
​

as Jo Polniaczek on the long-running NBC sitcom The Facts of Life, McKeon
​

portrays Connie Munroe (Sonny's mom) on Disney Channel's Sonny With a Chance
1990:

Rock 'n' Roll Beach Club, a rock-themed dance club, opens in Disney World's Pleasure Island. It replaces XZFR Rockin' Rollerdrome, a short lived club where guests could strap on skates and dance to rock music
1994:

Michael Eisner temporarily assumes the titles of president and chief operating officer of Disney the day after the tragic death of Frank Wells
2001:

It is reported that actor Christopher Walken has closed a deal to play the lead human in the largely animatronic film The Country Bears for the
​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Walt Disney Company. (He will go on to play the role of Reed Thimple.)
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[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

2006:

Western Way, the new rear entrance to Disney World from the new
​

Western Beltway expressway opens in Florida. The 4-lane, divided
​

boulevard gives Disney a western entrance for the first time, allowing
​

tourists coming in via Interstate 75 to enter Central Florida on Florida's
​

Turnpike and the Western Beltway (State Road 429), without ever entering Orlando or driving on Interstate 4

2011:

Acclaimed author Ridley Pearson visits Walt Disney World to celebrate the launch of his newest book; Kingdom Keepers IV: Power Play[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][/FONT]1614:
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P[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]ocahontas (the daughter of the chief of the Powhatan Indians) marries John Rolfe (a tobacco planter) in Jamestown, Virginia. The marriage will ensure peace between the Jamestown settlers and the Native Indians for several years.
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[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

1934:

Actor and impressionist Frank Gorshin is born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He will go on to play the role of Iggy the bank-robber in Disney's 1965 live-action film That Darn Cat! (Fans of the 1960s TV series Batman[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] will remember him as the Riddler.)
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[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

1938:

Disney's first full length animated feature Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is released in Canada
1940:

Disney's Donald Duck short Donald's Dog Laundry is released. Donald has built himself a "modern dog washer" and wants a reluctant Pluto to try it out.
​

​

Walt Disney, director Ben Sharpsteen, and their wives leave for New York City by train. As Fantasia [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]is in production, Walt and Ben want to see a demonstration of dimensional sound being put on at Carnegie Hall. A stereophonic reproduction will be demonstrated by Bell Laboratories on April 9.
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[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

1956:

A[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]t Disneyland, the Bathroom of the Future (later known as the Bathroom of Tomorrow) presented by The Crane Company, opens in Tomorrowland.
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[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

1963:

Fairfax Cone - acting as temporary Chairman of the Illinois Commission on the New York World' Fair - visits the Disney Studios for a presentation of an animatronic Abraham Lincoln figure. A skeptical Cone is later very impressed and convinced that it should be part of the Illinois participation in the upcoming 1964-65 World's Fair[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].
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[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

1965:

At the 37th Academy Awards,Julie Andrews wins an Oscar - Best Actress - for her role in the Disney film Mary Poppins. The film (which has been nominated for a total of 13 Oscars) also wins Academy Awards for Best Song "Chim Chim Cher-ee" (written by the Sherman Brothers), Musical Score (also by the Sherman Brothers), Film Editing (Cotton Warburton), and Special Visual Effects (Peter Ellenshaw, Hamilton Luske & Eustace Lycett). Although Mary Poppins is nominated for Best Picture and Best Director (Robert Stevenson) ... both Oscars go to My Fair Lady. The Academy also awards an Oscar (Scientific or Technical,
​

Class I) to Ub Iwerks, Petro Vlahos, and Wadsworth Pohl for the conception and perfection of techniques for Color Traveling Matte Composite Cinematography (which was used in Mary Poppins[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]).
​

[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

1998:

The Enchanted Tiki Room (Under New Management), a modified version of Disneyland's Enchanted Tiki Room, opens at the Magic Kingdom in Disney World. The attraction originally opened as Walt Disney's Tropical Serenade back on October 1, 1971 (the park's debut). This new version features Iago and Zazu from Aladdin and The Lion King[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].
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[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

2006:

The Walt Disney Company Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial
​

Officer Tom Staggs presents on behalf of Disney Worldwide Outreach a donation of
​

$1.5 million to the Boys & Girls Clubs of America President Roxanne Spillett on ABC
​

News' Good Morning America. The funds donated by Disney will go towards rebuilding 16 Clubs in the
​

Gulf Coast that were severely damaged by hurricanes last year.
​

​

The very first Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, a themed store offering young guests the
​

opportunity for a makeover to become a princess or prince, opens in Downtown
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Disney at Walt Disney World. [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif](A second shop will open in the Magic Kingdom in 2007.)
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[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

2010:

NASA Space shuttle Discovery launches in the
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predawn darkness from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
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As with many launches, this one is easily viewed from Walt Disney
​

World. The STS-131 7-member crew will deliver a multi-purpose
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logistics module filled with science racks to the International Space
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Station, early on Wedensday​

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1931:
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Disney's Mickey Mouse cartoon The Castaway, directed by Wilfred Jackson, [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]is released. In this short, Mickey is alone on a raft and cast up on a desert island. Luckily there are plenty of bananas and of course ... a piano!

1947:
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Actor John Ratzenberger, Pixar's "good luck charm" is born in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
​

All of Pixar Animation's feature films has included Ratzenberger's voice - such as Yeti in Monsters, Inc. and Hamm the
​

Piggy Bank in all Toy Story features. According to director/screenwriter Andrew Stanton, Pixar actually has a rule
​

stating that Ratzenberger must be in all Pixar films! His voice credits include Underminer in The Incredibles, Mack in
​

Cars, Mustafa in Ratatouille, John in WALL-E and Construction Foreman Tom in Up. TV fans may remember
​

Ratzenberger for his role of Clifford Clavin - the misinformed mailman on the hit comedy series Cheers. In 1990
​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Ratzenberger actually appeared on the TV special "Disneyland's 35th Anniversary Celebration" ... as Cliff Clavin!

1971:
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The cover of LOOK magazine features Mickey Mouse - the "first
​

citizen of Florida" and the headline FLORIDA: The sweet life The
​

powder keg and Your first look at the magical new DISNEY
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WORLD. Articles report on the near completion of Disney World
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]and the booming development of Florida.

1986:
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ABC-TV airs The Disney Sunday Movie, I-Man starring Scott Bakula
1990:
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At Disneyland, the Blue Ribbon Bakery shop opens on
​

Main Street replacing the Sunkist Citrus House.
​

​

Touchstone Pictures releases the comedy Ernest Goes to Jail
​

starring Jim Varney. It is the fourth film to feature Varney as Ernest P. Worrell
1991:
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Darkwing Duck, a new animated series, premieres on Disney Channel.
​

Featuring a wacky superhero duck with the alter ego of Drake Mallard - voiced by Jim
​

Cummings, it is the first of two spin-offs of the series DuckTales
2004:

NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe and aspiring astronaut Sofi Collis appear at Epcot for ceremonies honoring the success of the Mars Exploration Rover mission. [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Ten-year-old Sofi submitted the winning essay in a naming contest for both of NASA's JPL rovers. She suggested the names Spirit and Opportunity. O'Keefe's quote, "We're back ... and we're on Mars," is added to a permanent collection of space-related quotations on the facade of Mission: SPACE.

2007:
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At Epcot, Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros! opens replacing
​

El Rio de Tiempo (which had closed January 2) in the Mexico pavilion.
​

A gentle boat ride, the attraction features Donald Duck, José Carioca (the parrot), and Panchito
​

(the Mexican charro rooster) from the 1944 Disney film The Three Caballeros
2010:
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Voice actor Eddie Carroll, who took over the role of Jiminy Cricket in 1973 after the death
​

of original voice Cliff Edwards in 1971, passes away at the age of 76. Also known for his
​

critically-acclaimed one-man tribute stage show Jack Benny: Laughter in Bloom, Carroll's voice talent can be heard in
​

Mickey's Christmas Carol, Spectromagic, Wishes, and the Kingdom Hearts video game series.
​

​

Entertainer Donny Osmond visits Disneyland with his his wife, Debbie, and son, Joshua, 12. (A singer, musician and actor, Osmond is the singing voice of Shang in the 1998 Mulan and appeared as Gaston in Disney's Broadway musical Beauty and Beast.)
​

​

Fans of the Kingdom Keepers Saga and author Ridley Pearson get to celebrate the National Launch of his newest book, Kingdom Keepers III: Disney In Shadow this day at Once Upon a Toy in Downtown Disney Marketplace​

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1995:

Walt Disney's sister Ruth (the youngest of the family) passes away.



The Disney film A Goofy Movie is released. This film was animated primarily at a new Disney studio in

1939:

Disney's final Silly Symphony cartoon The Ugly D__________g is

released. Based on a story by Hans Christian Andersen, this short retells the

tale of an outcast duckling who turns out to become a beautiful swan. A color remake of the 1931 Disney

short, it will win an Academy Award for Best Cartoon.

1928:

Actor James Garner, the voice of Commander Lyle Tiberius Rourke in

Disney's 2001 animated release Atlantis: The Lost Empire, is born in

Norman, Oklahoma. His live-action Disney film credits include the 1974 The

1912:

Songwriter Jack Lawrence is born in Brooklyn, New York. He co-wrote "Once Upon A Dream" with Sammy Fain for Disney's 1951 Sleeping Beauty[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif], and along with Frank Churchill, penned "Never Smile At A Crocodile" for Disney's Peter Pan. (Lawrence is probably best known for his song "Beyond the Sea," co-written with Charles Trenet & Albert Lasry for singer Bobby Darin.)
[/FONT]​

Castaway

Cowboy and the 1973 One Little Indian. (TV fans know him as the star of "The Rockford Files"

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]and for his role in "8 Simple Rules... for Dating My Teenage Daughter.")
[/FONT]​

Sound recording for Disney's newest feature Fantasia[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] begins. (The project will consume a half million feet of sound film during 42 days of recording!)
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[/FONT]
1970:

At the 42nd Academy Awards (held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles), Disney's It's Tough To Be A Bird[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] wins an Oscar (Short Subjects, Cartoon).
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1990:

A[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]t Walt Disney World's Downtown Disney, Cage replaces Videopolis East (one of the original Pleasure Island clubs for the under-21).
[/FONT]​

F
rance, after character design, art direction, and storyboarding had been completed in Burbank, California. It features the voices of Bill Farmer (as Goofy), Jim Cummings, Jo Anne Worley, and Joey Lawrence​

2001:

Disney's House of Mouse debuts the episode "Thanks to Minnie."
​

1997:

Captain EO, a 3-D, 70mm, Sci-fi, fantasy, musical movie attraction

starring Michael Jackson, closes at Disneyland. Directed by Francis Ford

Coppola and executive-produced by George Lucas, the movie had been playing in the

theater in Tomorrowland since September 18, 1986​

[/FONT]

​

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire - Play It! officially opens at Disney-MGM Studios.

The attraction is a modified version of the popular Who Wants to Be a Millionaire television game show​

2004:
​

Roy E. Disney and his wife Patty tour the new $22.5 million

"Roy E. Disney Center for Performing Arts" at the National Hispanic Cultural Center & Foundation in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Disney's have contributed $1 million to help fund the construction of the 700-seat theater​

[/FONT]
[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]2006:
​

[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]D[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]isney World's biggest ride yet, Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain, a 20-story, white-knuckle roller coaster spin officially opens in Animal
​

[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Kingdom. [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]The ceremonial grand opening is led by Disney CEO Bob Iger and theme parks chairman Jay Rasulo.
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[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]The attraction, which features a snowy mountain setting and an "abominable snowman" figure, is currently Florida's
​

[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]tallest peak, sculpted from 1,800 tons of steel, and covering more than six acres!
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[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]

2008:
​

The United States Air Force "Thunderbirds" fly over Walt Disney World. The Las Vegas, Nevada-based air demonstration team, who are celebrating their 55th anniversary, soar over the resort following an air show in Punta Gorda, Florida.
​

​

In a public ceremony, Jackie Autry, wife of the late Gene Autry ("The Singing
​

Cowboy") accepts a star on the Anaheim/Orange County Walk of Stars in honor of her husband and
Orange County’s baseball pioneer. [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Actor & singer-songwriter Gene Autry is the sixth honoree on the Anaheim/OC Walk of Stars (Walt Disney was the first) and is recognized for his contributions to baseball and professional sports in Orange County. Autry once owned the California Angels and later sold a quarter share of the team to The Walt Disney Company.

[/FONT]2009:
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[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]A[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]ctress Faith Prince joins the cast of [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Broadway's[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]The Little Mermaid[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].
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[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]She takes over the role of of the evil sea witch Ursula.
​

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[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]T[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]he first three volumes of [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Disney Animation Collection[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] are released to DVD.
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[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]U[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]nstoppable[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif], the sixth studio album by the American country pop group Rascal Flatts, is released on Disney's Lyric Street label[/FONT]​