this day in disney history

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2/28

1948:
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Tony Award-winning actress-singer Bernadette Peters, the voice of
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Angelique in Disney's Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas, is born
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Bernadette Lazarra in Ozone Park, Queens, New York. With a career that has already
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spanned 5 decades, she has starred in musical theatre, films, and television
1955:

Comedian Gilbert Gottfried, the voice of Iago the Parrot for Disney's Aladdin feature, TV shows, and park attractions (such as Enchanted Tiki Room: Under New Management) is born in Brooklyn, New York. Gottfried's Disney TV credits include episodes of Hanna Montana, The Emperor's New School, and Hercules[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].
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1986:

Veteran animator, future Disney Legend, & one of Walt's "Nine Old Men" Eric Larson retires at the age of 81. Larson created the kitten Figaro for the 1940 animated feature Pinocchio[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].
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1997:

ABC-TV airs "Walt Disney World's 25th Anniversary Party" at 9 p.m. EST. The special is hosted by Melissa Joan Hart (of TV's "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch") and Will Friedle (of TV's "Boy Meets World").
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Wookie Chewbacca and actress Carrie Fisher (who portrayed Princess Leia in the classic film Star Wars) cuts an opening ribbon with a light saber during a Star Tours rededication ceremony at Disneyland. The event highlights the attraction’s 10th anniversary (Star Tours first opened January 9, 1987[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]) and the 20th anniversary of the film (originally released on May 25, 1977).
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2003:

UL's "Test the Limits Lab," attraction opens in Epcot's Innoventions at Walt
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Disney World. Underwriters Labs Inc. (whose ubiquitous "UL" marks can be
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]found on billions of products around the world) hosts the interactive exhibit.
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2004:

The Earl of Sandwich Shop opens at the Downtown Disney Marketplace in Florida. The shop's name honors British naval officer John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, who is credited with inventing the sandwich in 1762. Montagu’s living descendant, 11th Earl of Sandwich John Montagu, and his son Orlando collaborated with Robert Earl, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Planet Hollywood, to create the shop
2007:

Prestel Publishing releases the book Once upon a Time: Walt Disney:
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The Sources of Inspiration for the Disney Studios by Bruno Girveau
2010:

The Visual Effects Society announce the winners of the 8th Annual VES Awards at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, California.
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Outstanding Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture goes to Pixar's Up (Pete Docter, Jonas Rivera,
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Steve May & Gary Bruins).
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Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Miniseries, Movie or Special is awarded to Disney's Prep and Landing – Gadgets, Globes, and other Garish Gizmos (Dorothy McKim, Scott Kersavage, David Hutchins & Kee Suong).
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Outstanding Animated Character in an Animated Feature Motion Picture is given to Pixar's Up – ‘Carl’- No Dad Scene (Ed Asner, Ron Zorman, Brian Tindall & Carmen Ngai).
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Outstanding Effects Animation in an Animated Feature Motion Picture is also awarded to Pixar's Up[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] (Jason Johnston, Alexis Angelidis, Jon Reisch & Eric Froemling).
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2/29

1916:
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Singer/actress/TV celebrity Dinah Shore (whose voice can be heard
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in Disney's 1946 Make Mine Music and 1947
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Fun and Fancy Free) is born in Winchester, Tennessee
1940:

Disney is awarded an Oscar (Short Subjects, Cartoon) for the Silly Symphony short The Ugly Duckling[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] at the 1939 Academy Awards (held at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles).
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1956:

The Disneyland television series airs a look at Disneyland's Adventureland via the Jungle Cruise attraction. Also presented is a look at the nature film
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Water Birds​

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2000:
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Disney's An Extremely Goofy Movie makes its home-video premiere. It features the voice of Bill Farmer as Goofy
2004:

The 76th Academy Awards are held at the Kodak Theatre in
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Hollywood, California. Screenplay writer & director Andrew Stanton is awarded an
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Oscar (Best Animated Feature Film) for Disney/Pixar's Finding Nemo. Although nominated for Best Sound, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl is edged out by The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Howard Shore's original score for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King beats out Thomas Newman's Finding Nemo[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] score.
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2008:

ESPN The Weekend kicks off at Disney World.
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Meanwhile over at Disney's Animal Kingdom, a giraffe is born. Makena,
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which means “Happy One” in Swahili, weighs in at 118 pounds, standing
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5 feet, 6 inches tall. Makena is the first calf for her mother, 4-year-old
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Malaika, who was also born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom​

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3/1

1910:
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Legendary actor and novelist David Niven is born James David
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Graham Niven in London, England. His Disney credits include the 1977 Candleshoe in which he
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played the multiple roles of Mr. Priory, Mr. Gipping, Colonel Dennis and John. Niven also appeared in the
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1976 comedy No Deposit, No Return as J.W. Osborne. (Film fans will know Niven best from Around the World
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in Eighty Days, The Guns Of Navarone, The Pink Panther and as Sir James Bond in the unofficial spoof
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Casino Royale. Niven also wrote four books in his lifetime including his 1971 autobiography, The Moon's a
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Balloon[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif], which sold over five million copies.)
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1928:

Walt Disney is visiting New York with the intent to re-negotiate a deal with Charles Mintz of Winkler Productions for the next series of Oswald cartoons. [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Mintz only offers $1400 per film and 50 percent of the profits. (Secretly Mintz wants control of Oswald and wants Disney as his employee.)
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1930:

Disney animator & techincal genius Ub Iwerks, the first animator of Mickey Mouse, officially leaves Disney to set up his own animation studio. (His
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]character Flip the Frog will eventually fail and he will later return to Disney.)
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1940:

A rare instance of Walt Disney's praise occurs at a "Bambi" screening
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of two minutes of test animation by Frank Thomas and Milt Kahl. After
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seeing the footage, Disney turns to the two animators with tears in his eyes and says "Thanks, fellows.
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That's great stuff, no kidding. Those personalities are pure gold." Walt seldom gives a direct compliment.
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif](When "Bambi" is completed it will have the fewest lines of dialogue of any Disney animated feature.)
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1941:

Walt Disney's speech "Our American Culture," is broadcast
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during an intermission of the Metropolitan Opera.
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Walt's words include:
Once a man has tasted freedom he will never be content to be a slave. That is why I believe that this frightfulness we see everywhere today is only temporary. Tomorrow will be better for as long as America keeps alive the ideals of freedom and a better life. All men will want to be free and share our way of life. There must be so much that I should have said, but haven't. What I will say now is just what most

of us are probably thinking every day. I thank God and

America for the right to live and raise my family under the

flag of tolerance, democracy and freedom.

(These words will be echoed some 60 years later by Disney President Michael Eisner after the terrorist
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]attacks of September 2001.)
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1991:

Walt Disney Pictures releases the action-adventure Shipwrecked. Produced by a consortium of Scandinavian companies and released in the U.S. in a dubbed English-language version by Walt Disney Pictures, it tells the story of a young Norwegian boy in the 1850s who becomes the sole support of his family as a cabin boy on a ship. (Shipwrecked[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] will be nominated for three Young Artist Awards the following year.)
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1994:

At the 36th Annual Grammy Awards, the song "A Whole New World" from
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Disney's Aladdin wins multiple times! Song of the Year goes to the song's composers Alan
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Menken and Tim Rice. Singers Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle win for Best Pop Performance by a
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Duo or Group with Vocal. Menken and Rice also win for Best Song Written Specifically For A Motion
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Picture, Television or Other Visual Media. Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture
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or for Television goes to composer Alan Menken for Aladdin performed by various artists.
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Best Musical Album for Children is awarded to producers Alan Menken & Tim Rice and various artists
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for Aladdin - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].
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1995:

The Lion roars at the 37th Grammy Awards, held at the Shrine Auditorium. Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male is awarded to Elton John for his "Can You Feel the Love Tonight."
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Best Instrumental Arrangement With Accompanying Vocal goes to "Circle of Life," arranged by
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Lebo Morake & Hans Zimmer and performed by Carmen Twillie. The Lion King—Original
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Motion Picture Soundtrack wins Best Musical Album for Children. Best Spoken Word
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Album for Children is awarded to The Lion King Read-Along
1997:

The #5 locomotive, the "Ward Kimball" (named for the great Disney animator), is dedicated at the Magic Kingdom park at Walt Disney World. In 1995, Southern California railroad enthusiast Bill Norred traded his 1927 Davenport locomotive to Disneyland in exchange for the five retired clerestory-roofed "Retlaw One" coaches. The locomotive was instead sent to Walt Disney World after deemed too large to operate in California and was dedicated as #5 "Ward Kimball". Unfortunately, the locomotive will never pull a public train on the Walt Disney World Railroad as it is found to be far too small for operation. It will be put on display at Epcot and later returned to the Disney World engine house. In 1999 it will be traded to Cedar Point for a smaller Forney locomotive which (after restoration) will become the Disneyland Railroad #5 "Ward Kimball" in 2005
1999:

At Disney-MGM, a third drop is added to the drop sequence for the Tower of Terror attraction. Also, Doug Live (a stage show) opens replacing Superstar TV.
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K[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]ali River Rapids (a whitewater rafting adventure) and Maharajah Jungle Trek both open in the Asia section of Animal Kingdom.
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2003:

Epcot features the final performances of Tapestry of Dreams, coinciding with the end of the 100 Years of Magic celebration
2007:

Meg Crofton, president of Walt Disney World announces that two large tracts of land on different areas of its 43-square mile property ar being developed. [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]The first, a 900-acre golf community, will replace the existing Eagle Pines golf course at the Bonnet Creek Golf Club with a Four Seasons hotel. The second project, also unnamed, is located on 450 acres near the new Western Beltway that Disney plans to sell to an as-yet-unnamed developer or group of developers.
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Thanks Meg!​

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3/2

1928:
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Walt Disney, still in New York, continues to re-negotiate a deal with Charles Mintz of Winkler Productions for the next series of Oswald cartoons. [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Mintz raises his offer from the day before to $1750 per film plus 50 percent of the profits. Walt will agree only if Mintz can produce the contract immediately ... but Mintz claims he cannot.
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1946:

Hedda Hopper's gossip column in the Los Angeles Times includes these words:
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Johnny Appleseed, the legendary man who went through the wild west in the old
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days planting apple trees, is certainly getting a play here [in Hollywood, that is].
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Walt Disney's doing a cartoon fantasy based on the character.
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1959:

Actor Eric Blore - the voice of Mr. Toad in Disney's 1949 The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad - passes away in Hollywood, California
1976:

Walt D[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]isney World welcomes its 50-millionth guest - Susan Brummer!
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2000:

The Orlando Sentinel reports that Walt Disney World is planning a space exploration attraction that has intrigued NASA. The Space Pavilion, expected to open at Epcot in 2003, would feature a series of interactive exhibits and shows describing space exploration, culminating in a motion-simulator ride similar to what NASA astronauts use to prepare for space flight
2004:

Roy E. Disney and Stanley P. Gold hold a SaveDisney.com briefing and reception
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for shareholders of the Walt Disney Company in Philadelphia, the day before
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Disney's Annual Shareholder Meeting. The rally draws 800 people
That evening, Michael Eisner, Robert Iger, and the Disney board of directors

meet. Eisner offers to resign, but the board opposes and instead agrees to cede the title of chairman to
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George Mitchell
2009:

D[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]isney Cruise Line announces that construction has started in Germany on two new ships - the Disney "Dream" and the Disney "Fantasy" - that will be stationed at Port Canaveral, Florida (starting sometime in 2011).[/FONT]
2011:

The 18th annual International Flower and Garden Festival begins at Epcot.
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Running through May 15, the event features beautiful topiaries, fun concerts, educational demonstrations, and celebrity appearances. For the first time ever, the Festival is being sponsored by HGTV, who will showcase their television personalities on the HGTV stage​

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3/3

1845:
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Florida becomes the 27th state to join the United States of
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America when President John Tyler (on the last day of his
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administration) signs into law the act granting statehood to
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Florida's 57,921 inhabitants
1928:

Walt Disney, still visiting New York, continues to re-negotiate a deal (for the third day in a row) with Charles Mintz of Winkler Productions for the next series of Oswald cartoons. Mintz once again raises his offer from the day before to $1800 per film plus 50 percent of the profits. But now Mintz also wishes to take over the Disney studio, paying Walt and Roy $200 per week as his employees. Walt absolutely refuses
1946:

Bobby Driscoll celebrates his ninth birthday on the set of Disney's Song of the
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South. Director Harve Foster and Walt Disney himself present Bobby with a cake
1983:

The EPCOT attraction Journey Into Imagination debuts.
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It will have its official opening 2 days later.
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The Buena Vista Palace hotel opens at Lake Buena Vista at Walt Disney World
1995:

The Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye attraction officially opens in Disneyland's Adventureland. In attendance for the attraction's debut is filmmaker George Lucas, Michael Eisner (who ironically was the president of Paramount Pictures that green-lighted Raiders of the Lost Ark back in 1980), and actors Dan Aykroyd and Carrie Fisher. Based on the Indiana Jones films, guests are taken on an adventure in military transport vehicles through a lost temple with Indiana Jones. (It is one of the first Disney attractions that has a different experience each time guests ride.)
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The Lion King becomes the top-selling home video of all time, selling over 30 million units domestically and surpassing the record set in 1994 by Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
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Walt Disney Pictures releases the comedy Man of the House, starring Chevy Chase, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Farrah Fawcett, Zachary Browne and George Wendt. It is Thomas' motion picture debut (as his only prior credit for a feature is the animated The Lion King)
2004:

Disney's Board of Directors hold their Annual Meeting of Shareholders at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia at 10 a.m. The meeting is available live via webcast at the Investor Relations' Web site. Roy Disney's speech includes these words:
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[FONT='Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"My Dad was quoted once as saying, [/FONT][FONT='Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]It's easy to make decisions, once you know what your values are.[/FONT][FONT='Trebuchet MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] Unfortunately, our corporate values have been compromised in recent years."
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Hours after the meeting, the Board announces that Michael Eisner will be replaced as Chairman of the Board by Senator George J. Mitchell
2011:

Disney and HP executives are joined by sports celebrities and ESPN personalities at ESPN Wide World of Sports for the dedication ceremony for the newly named "HP Field House." The HP Field House is a 165,000-square-foot, multi-sport venue, which debuted in 1997 when the Disney sports complex opened. With the new HP partnership, the facility is now outfitted with HP technology.​

 

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3/4

1914:
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Disney animator/director Ward Kimball is born in
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Minneapolis, Minnesota. Kimball is best remembered as
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one of Walt's "Nine Old Men" and contributed to such
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classics as Fantasia, Pinochio, and Dumbo
1943:

Disney's Der Fuehrer's Face wins an Oscar (Short Subjects, Cartoon)
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at the 15th Academy Awards (held at the Coconut Grove of the
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Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles). Although Frank Churchill and Edward Plumb are nominated for Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture (for their work in Bambi), Max Steiner takes home the Oscar for his contribution to Now Voyager
1980:

Disney releases its very first video tapes to the home VHS market. The 13 titles are licensed for rental to Fotomat (a retail chain of photo development drive-thru kiosks located in shopping center
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parking lots) in a four-city test. The titles include the live-action features Pete's Dragon, The Black Hole, The
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Love Bug, Escape to Witch Mountain, Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,
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Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The North Avenue Irregulars, The Apple Dumpling Gang, and Hot Lead and Cold
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Feet; and three of the compilations of short cartoons previously released by DiscoVision: On Vacation with
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Mickey Mouse and Friends, Kids is Kids starring Donald Duck, and Adventures of Chip 'n' Dale[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].
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1994:

Canadian comic actor John Candy dies while on location in Mexico during the filming of Wagons East. A heart attack claims the life of the 44-year-old. The Toronto-born funnyman was the voice of Albatross Wilbur in Disney's 1990 animated film The Rescuers Down Under and co-starred in the 1984 live-action Splash (Touchstone Pictures' first release). Candy had recently recorded a large amount of material for a turkey character named Redfeather, who was to be Pocahontas's sidekick in the Disney feature Pocahontas. Although executives perceived the character to lighten the tone of the film, the turkey was replaced with the characters Meeko and Flit. Candy also appeared in the 1993 comedy Cool Runnings, distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. (Comedy fans will know Candy best from the television series SCTV and such films as Uncle Buck and Spaceballs.[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif])
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2004:

It is reported that embattled Walt Disney Co. Chief Executive Michael Eisner was stripped of his role as chairman at yesterday's annual shareholders meeting. Disney's board elected former U.S. Senator George Mitchell as the company's new chairman. (Eisner will continues to keep his position as chief executive even though 43 percent of shareholders voted against him in an unprecedented protest.)
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The Walt Disney World Resort and Amerada Hess Corp. enter into a multi-year agreement that includes the operation of three Hess Express service stations on property in Florida. Hess also will become the title sponsor of the Sports Fields venue at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex
2007:

Dr. Honeydew and his assistant Beaker - characters from The Muppet Show[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif], and Disney's first roving machines - entertain visitors at California Adventure. Disney's newest "living characters initiative" are free ranging and totally independent!
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2008:

A re-dedication ceremony is held at Epcot for Spaceship Earth
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(now presented by Siemens).
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Disney releases the animated classic 101 Dalmatians on a two-disc edition DVD, for a limited time.
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Comedian/actor Frank Caliendo takes a ride aboard Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom. The star of Frank TV, Caliendo[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] is in the midst of a Walt Disney World vacation.
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2010:

Disney's Alice in Wonderland, directed by Tim Burton and starring Mia Wasikowska
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and Johnny Depp, is released in Australia.
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Disney announces that their program in which volunteers work a shift at accepted
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charities and get a free pass to a Disney theme park could end soon. The goal of one
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million shifts has nearly been reached, just two months into the promotion. (As of Feb. 18, 600,000 people had
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]signed up!)
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3/5

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]1928:
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]D[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]isney's [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Oswald the Lucky Rabbit[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] black & white silent short [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Rival Romeos[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] is released just as Walt has exhausted negotiations with the cartoon's distributor Charles Mintz[/FONT]
1948:

Disney releases the Donald Duck short Drip Dippy Donald, directed by Jack King.
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]A leaky faucet keeps a very tired Donald up all night!
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1962:

The Golden Globe Awards are presented at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, California. Although nominated for a Golden Globe Award for her performance in Disney's The Parent Trap, Hayley Mills is edged out by actress Rosalind Russell for her performance in A Majorty of One. West Side Story wins for Best Motion Picture - Musical, beating out Disney's Babes in Toyland. Best Motion Picture - Comedy is also given to A Majority of One, again beating out The Parent Trap[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].
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1983:

The Journey Into Imagination attraction (presented by Kodak) officially opens at
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EPCOT's Future World. Located in The Imagination! pavilion, Journey Into Imagination features the
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Dreamfinder (the attraction's pilot) who teaches Figment (a small, purple creature with orange steer horns voiced
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by Billy Barty) to use his imagination. The ride features the song "One Little Spark," composed by the Sherman
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Brothers. The Imagination! pavilion (featuring the Magic Journeys film) has been opend since the park's debut on
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October 1, 1982. (Over the years the attraction will go through different incarnations: Journey into YOUR
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Imagination in 1999 and Journey into Imagination with Figment in 2002.)
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1994:

Jim Henson's Secret Life of Toys begins airing on The Disney Channel.
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Wheel of Fortune spends Spring Break at Disney-MGM Studios. The popular game show will tape 20 episodes over the next 4 days
1995:

The Santa Clause is presented a People's Choice Award for
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Favorite Comedy Motion Picture
2005:

The Newport Symphony Orchestra performs selections from
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Disney's 1940 Fantasia during a concert held at the
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Newport Performing Arts Center in California.
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Vance Gerry, a veteran Disney animation storyman, layout artist, and visual development artist since 1955, passes away in Pasadena, California. Regarded as one of the most talented and creative story artists in the animation industry, he contributed to such Disney classics as 101 Dalmatians, The Jungle Book, The Aristocats, Robin Hood,
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The Rescuers, and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
2011:

Grammy Award-winning jazz great Herbie Hancock performs at the
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Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, California​

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3/6

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]1927:
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]G[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]ordon Cooper, one of the original 7 U.S. astronauts, is born in Shawnee,
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Oklahoma. [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]In 1963, he flew the longest spaceflight of the Mercury project, was the first American to
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]sleep in orbit, and the last American to launch alone into Earth orbit and conduct an entire solo orbital
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]mission! Two years later Cooper flew as command pilot of Gemini 5 on an eight-day, 120-orbit mission.
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]From January 1973 to 1975, he served as Vice President for Research and Development/EPCOT for
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Walter E. Disney Enterprises, Inc., (the research and development subsidiary of Walt Disney Productions).
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1957:

The Disneyland[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] television series airs "Man in Flight."
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1963:

Various versions of the song "There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow," written by
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Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman, are recorded for a Disney attraction that will be
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featured in the upcoming New York World's Fair. Disney staff composer Buddy
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Baker has arranged the tune in different musical styles to fit the Carousel of Progress (an attraction to be featured
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]in the General Electric Pavilion).
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1980:

CBS-TV airs an hour long program titled,
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Disneyland's 25th Anniversary. The special (sponsored by Kraft) features an all-star line-up including Danny Kaye, Annette Funicello, and Buddy Ebsen
1981:

Disney's live-action comedy feature The Devil and Max Devlin
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- starring Elliott Gould and Bill Cosby - is released
1982:

Disney's 1979 science fiction feature The Black Hole is
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released into U.S. theaters for a second time. First
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released in December 1979, the film is directed by Gary Nelson for Walt
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Disney Productions and stars Maximilian Schell, Robert Forster, Joseph
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Bottoms, Yvette Mimieux, Anthony Perkins, and Ernest Borgnine
2006:

Give Kids the World, a non-profit organization dedicated to fulfilling the dreams of children with life-threatening illnesses (such as visiting Disney World and other Florida attractions) celebrates their 20th anniversary. [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]A week-long celebration kicks off at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom with actor & Disney fan John Stamos (a longtime friend of GKTW).
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[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]2008:
Shareholders of The Walt Disney Company hold their
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2008 Annual Meeting in New Mexico.
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Celebrity Chef Cat Cora celebrates with Mickey Mouse the debut of her new show on Disney Travel on Demand's Season 2 at an event held at Disney World. Her series
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"What's Cooking with Cat Cora" will educate Disney fans about the restaurant choices at the Disney parks
2010:

The North American Association of Uniform Manufacturers and Distributors announce the winners of the Image of the Year Awards and Best Dressed Public Safety Awards during the 2010 NAUMD Convention & Expo in Las Vegas. [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]The Restaurant Fine Dining Award goes to The Walt Disney Company for Sanaa (a restaurant located at Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas) and the Sports Arena or Facility Award is given to The Walt Disney Company for ESPN Wide World of Sports.
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3/7

1941:
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Disney's Donald Duck short Golden Eggs is released. Having a hard time harvesting eggs
​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]from the henhouse, Donald goes in disguise as a hen to get them!
​

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1946:

The 1945 Academy Awards are held at Grauman's Chinese Theatre with hosts Bob Hope and James Stewart. Walt Disney Studio Sound Department (nominated for The Three Caballeros) loses to RKO's The Bell's of Saint Mary in the Sound Recording category. The Disney team of Edward Plumb, Paul J. Smith and Charles Wolcott - nominated for the music in The Three Caballeros, are edged out by Georgie Stoll for his score for Anchors Aweigh. Although nominated for Short Subjects, Cartoon - Disney's Donald's Crime is beat out by MGM's Quiet Please[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].
​

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

1997:

Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean reopens after
​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]being renovated.
​

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2005:

Film producer, writer and director Debra Hill (known for such classics as
​

Halloween) passes away in Los Angeles, California. In 1988, Hill signed a
​

contract with Walt Disney Pictures for her Debra Hill Productions and
​

produced the 1989 feature Gross Anatomy, short films for Disney theme
​

parks and an NBC special for Disneyland's 35th anniversary.
​

​

It is announced that the Disney-based Mandeville Films (who are shooting
​

The gy Dog a sequel to the gy Disney films of the past) will start production on a new Swiss Family Robinson feature in September at the
​

Queenslands Warner Roadshow Studios in Australia
2008:

In a ceremony prior to the park's opening, Disney Legend Bob Gurr receives a window on Disneyland's Main Street USA. Gurr's Disneyland designs include the Autopia, the Monorail, Omnimovers, and the Main Street Vehicles.
​

​

​

Walt Disney Pictures releases the comedy feature College Road Trip. [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]When an overachieving high school student (played by Raven-Symoné) decides to travel around the country to choose the perfect college, her overprotective cop father (played by Martin Lawrence) decides to accompany her in order to keep her on the straight and narrow. This comical adventure also features Brenda Song, Donny Osmond, and Will Sasso.
​

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2010:

More than 13,000 runners take part in Disney's Princess Half Marathon at WDW.
​

Gina Aalgaard Kelly of Lisbon, North Dakota wins the race in 1:23:58. The half marathon (originally designed
​

for women - although more than 400 men participated this year) wraps up a weekend of events including the
​

Princess and the Frog Family 5K, Disney’s Fit for a Princess Expo on women’s health and wellness, as well as
​

seminars on training, racing and nutrition.
​

​

Disney-Pixar's Up wins Best Animated Feature Film at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards. Up director Pete Docter accepts the award on behalf of the studio and his animation team. Michael Giacchino wins Best Music (Original Score) for his contribution to Up. The film was also nominated for best picture - the only animated film apart from Disney's 1991 Beauty and the Beast[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] ever to get that honor (at this time)!
​

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3/6

this post should be 3/8

1859:
​

Author Kenneth Grahame is born in Edinburgh, Scotland.
​

His most famous story The Wind in the Willows will be re-told in Disney's 1949 animated feature The Adventures of Icahbod and Mr. Toad. His 1898 children's book The Reluctant Dragon will serve as the key element for Disney's 1941 feature film The Reluctant Dragon
1928:

The Disney studio completes the 22nd Oswald the Lucky Rabbit film Sky Scrappers, and ships it to Winkler Productions just days after negotiations with Charles Mintz (of Winkler Productions) breaks down. As Walt cannot come to an agreement with Mintz, it looks as if the Disney Studios will be giving up their character Oswald
1967:

Buena Vista releases Disney's animated and live-action feature film The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin to theaters. An upbeat Gold Rush era Western, the film is based on the novel "By
​

the Great Horn Spoon" by Sid Fleischman. The cast includes Roddy McDowall (as Bullwhip Griffin), Suzanne
​

Pleshette (as Arabella Flagg), Karl Malden (as Judge Higgins), Harry Guardino (as Sam Trimble) and Richard
​

Haydn (as Quentin Bartlett). Although a live-action film, The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin features an animated opening credits sequence and some clever cartoon interstitials and transitions by veteran Ward Kimball (who is
​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]credited with "Titles & Things").

1983:
​

U.S. President Reagan pays a visit to EPCOT, escorted by ________ Nunis, President of
​

Walt Disney World, and several hundred math and science students from Central
​

Florida. He first visits the American Experience attraction before making an afternoon speech at a podium
​

located on the World Showcase Lagoon, directly opposite of Spaceship Earth. Reagan speaks of the promise of
​

EPCOT Center and what it meant to his friend Walt Disney and to the world
1998:

Art director and Imagineer Marvin Davis passes away in Santa Monica, California, at the age of 87. Retired since 1975, Marvin Davis (not to be confused with Marc Davis - one of Walt's Nine Old Men) worked on the original concepts for Disneyland and later on such features as Moon Pilot, Babes in Toyland, Bon Voyage and Big Red, as well as television projects like the Zorro television series. Davis was responsible for designing the Alamo set for the Davy Crockett series and in 1962 received an Emmy Award for his art direction on Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color. Married to Walt Disney's niece, Marjorie Sewell since 1955, Davis was inducted a Disney Legend[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] in 1994.
​

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

2006:

Actress Rhoda Williams - the voice of Drizella in Disney's 1950 animated feature Cinderella - passes away at age 75 in Oregon. A star of radio, television, and movies, Williams appeared on such programs as Dragnet, Ironside, The Twilight Zone, Marcus Welby, M.D. and General Hospital
2008:

Celebrities visiting Disney World's Magic Kingdom on this day include entertainer Wayne Newton and St. Louis Cardinals All Star first baseman Albert Pujols.
​

​

Over at Disney's Animal Kingdom, a baby zebra named Kidani is born. The first Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra born at the Walt Disney World, he is named for the new expansion of Animal Kingdom Villas, which will be named Kidani Village
2009:

Liza Hunter-Galvan wins the inaugural Disney’s Princess Half Marathon at Epcot with a time of 1 hour, 18 minutes, 18 seconds! Galvan, originally from New Zealand, is a
​

two-time Olympic marathoner.
​

​

Margaret "Mank" Johnstone of Orange County, California, celebrates
​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]her 107th birthday at Disneyland!
​

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3/9

1911:
​

Animator & Disney Legend John Lounsbery, one of Walt's "Nine Old Men," is born in Cincinnati, Ohio (though he will be raised in Denver, Colorado). While attending the Art Center School of Design in Los Angeles, an instructor will send him to interview with Walt Disney. Lounsbery's vast contributions will include Fantasia, Cinderella, and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
1955:

On ABC-TV, Disneyland airs "Man in Space," the first of a 3-part series about space travel. The show features Walt Disney, animator Ward Kimball (the director of the series), and scientists Willy Ley, Heinz Haber, and Wernher Von Braun (who will later be one of the leaders in the American space program). The show is narrated by ________ Tufeld (who will later be known as the voice of the robot on the TV series Lost in Space[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]). The next two parts "Man and the Moon" and "Mars and Beyond" will be aired over the next few years. (The Disney "science factual" series will be very influential in drumming up support in the U.S. for a manned space project.)
​

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1984:

Touchstone Pictures (part of the Disney family) releases its first film,
​

Splash (directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks, Daryl Hannah, and
​

John Candy.) Touchstone Pictures has been created to allow Disney to produce non-G-rated
​

movies. In a scene from Splash, Madison (played by Hannah) is at Bloomingdales' electrical department
​

when she passes television sets playing Disney's 1979 The Black Hole and the 1954 20,000 Leagues
​

Under the Sea.
​

​

Roy E. Disney resigns from the central board of the Walt Disney Company, setting in motion a series of takeover bids and maneuvering that by August will actually leave him in control of the company
1986:

Actress Brittany Snow, who appears in Disney's 2005 comedy feature
​

The Pacifier, is born in Tampa, Florida. She also took part in the short-lived TV series Walt Disney World Inside Out[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].
​

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

2001:

Disney Channel's original movie, The Luck of the Irish airs. [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]A teenager must battle for a gold charm to keep his family from being controlled by an evil leprechaun. (It will be the network's highest-rated original movie in the past three years.)
​

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

2006:

Movie fans catch a sneak peek of Pixar's new computer-animated feature Cars. Disney offers the World Premiere of the new theatrical trailer on a variety of broadcast outlets, basic cable channels, internet sites, and in person at the Disney Theme Parks, ESPN Zones, Disney Stores, and on the ABC SuperSign in Times Square in New York City. (Cars [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]is scheduled for a June 9 release.)
​

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2008:

Disney's Block Party Bash makes its first public appearance at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida. The parade features the Pixar family of characters in three segments - Toy Story, Monsters Inc and A Bug's Life, with The Incredibles making an appearance at the parade's finale​

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3/10

1905:
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Comic actor Richard Haydn, the voice of the caterpillar in Disney's 1951 classic Alice in Wonderland, is born in London, England. He also appears in Disney's 1967 live-
​

action feature The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin. (Known for playing eccentric characters, Haydn's American
​

TV credits include episodes of The Twilight Zone, The ________ Van Show, and Bewitched. But perhaps his
​

most acclaimed role was in Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1965 film musical, The Sound of Music, in which he
​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]played the von Trapp's family friend Max Detweiler.)
​

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

1938:

Disney is twice awarded at the 1937 Academy Awards presented at the
​

Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. The Disney/RKO cartoon short
​

The Old Mill (Short Subjects, Cartoon) wins an Academy Award, and Walt Disney Productions takes home an Oscar (Scientific or Technical, Class II)) for the design and use of its unqiue multiplane camera. The multiplane uses stacked panes of glass each painted with different elements of the animation. It allows the animators to re-use the same background, foreground, or any elements not in motion ... thus saving hours of labor. Although Walt Disney Studio Music Department is nominated for Best Music Score (for Snow White), Universal Studio Music Department takes home the Oscar (for One Hundred Men and a Girl[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]).
​

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

1953:

Africa USA, a wildlife tourist attraction in Boca Raton, Florida, opens its
​

doors to the public. A unique theme park (before its time), Walt Disney
​

himself will frequently visit and even consider purchasing the 300-acre site.
​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif](Africa USA will close in September 1961.)
​

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

1978:

The live-action Disney feature Return from Witch Mountain is released. Starring Bette Davis, Christopher Lee, Kim Richards, Ike Eisenmann, and Jack Soo, it is a sequel to the 1975 Escape to Witch Mountain
1985:

Today is General Electric's last day as corporate sponsor of Disney World's Carousel of Progress. GE's association with the attraction goes all the way back to the 1964-65 New York World's Fair[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].
​

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

1989:

New York Stories, an anthology film made up of 3 shorts, is released by
​

Touchstone Pictures. The first short is Life Lessons, directed by Martin Scorsese and written by
​

Richard Price. The second - Life Without Zoe, is directed by Francis Ford Coppola and written by Coppola
​

and his daughter, Sofia Coppola. The last segment is Oedipus Wrecks[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif], directed and written by Woody Allen.
​

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

2000:

Disney's Touchstone Pictures releases the science fiction film
​

Mission to Mars[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] starring Gary Sinise and Tim Robbins.
​

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

2001:

The animated Disney's House of Mouse debuts episode 8
​

"Jiminy Cricket."
​

​

A rare reunion of original stars of the 1950s television series the "Mickey Mouse Club" is held at Pardini's in Fresno, California. Proceeds of the event benefit the Center for Independent Living, a local organization that assists those with disabilities.
​

​

In celebration of the opening of Disney's California Adventure, Disney presents the "Artist's Choice" Pin of the Month Program with the "Tattoo Surf" pin. On the second Saturday of each month, (excluding February) a different pin will be released from the series.
​

​

The "Nanea" (which means tranquil) volcano-themed pool at
​

Disney World's Polynesian Resort replaces the original
​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] grotto pool. The new swimming hole includes underwater music.
​

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

2004:

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection presents its new Green Lodgings awards to Disney World's Coronado Springs and Boardwalk Resorts. (They are two of the first four hotels in Florida to receive the awards.) The honor is given to hotel properties that feature innovative and imaginative programs to conserve natural resources, reduce waste, minimize pollution and reduce costs
2009:

The 70th anniversary edition of Pinocchio is released on DVD and Blu-ray.
​

​

Disney officially launches "D23" - their first official fan organization​

​

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[trr1]

3/11

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]1909:
​

[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]J[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]ules Engel, filmmaker, animator, painter, sculptor, and teacher, is born in Budapest, Hungary. [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]His family will move to America and he will grow up in Illinois. In 1938, Engel will be hired by Walt Disney Studios to work on Disney's [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Fantasia[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] and later [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Bambi. [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Starting in 1944, he will be a founding member of the innovative studio United Productions of America. Along with Robert Cannon, Engel will create Mr. Magoo, Gerlad McBoing Boing, and Madeline. Engel will be best remembered as the founding director of the Experimental Animation Program at the California Institute of the Arts - where he will teach until his death, serving as mentor to several generations of animators[/FONT]
1950:

Bruce Healey, composer/arranger/conductor and music director for Walt Disney Attractions, is born in St. Louis, Missouri. His Disney work includes Fantasmic!, One Man's Dream, and Disney's Fantillusion (at Tokyo Disneyland). Healey also produced such Disney CDs as the 1997 Official Album of Disneyland/Walt Disney World and the 1996 Mickey's Sports Songs
1956:

Voice actor Rob Paulsen is born in Detroit, Michigan. Best known for his extensive roles as the voices of animated characters (such as Pinky from Pinky and the Brain), his Disney credits include Little Mermaid III, Fox and the Hound II, Kingdom Hearts II, Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas, Mulan II, Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers, Teacher's Pet, Stitch! The Movie, and Cinderella II: Dreams Come True
1966:

Several landowners (all fully-owned subsidiaries of the Walt Disney Company) petition the Circuit Court of the Ninth Judicial Circuit, which serves Orange County, Florida, for the creation of the Reedy Creek Drainage District. [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]The Drainage District will be incorporated May 13 as a public corporation. (The land within Disney World will become part of the Reedy Creek Improvement District - which will allow Disney to exercise quasi-governmental powers over the area.)
​

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

1977:

The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh is released. It is a compilation
​

consisting of Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, Wiinie the Pooh and
​

the Honey Tree, and Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too
1983:

The featurette Winnie the Pooh and a Day for Eeyore is released to theaters
​

along with a reissue of the 1963 feature The Sword in the Stone. Winnie the Pooh and
​

a Day for Eeyore has been animated by Rick Reinert Productions, making it the first animated Disney film
​

since 1938 to be completely produced outside the company.
​

​

Also released is the live-action detective spoof Trenchcoat, distributed by Buena
​

Vista Distribution. Actress Margot Kidder plays an aspiring mystery writer who travels to Malta to
​

research her next novel and falls in love with a handsome, mysterious American - played by Robert Hayes
1994:

The New York Times runs a letter to the editor titled "Disney Can
​

Make American History Fun" by David Verbraska of Valatie, New York.
​

Mr. Verbraska's words include:
​

For the first time in a long time, I disagree with the premise of one of your editorials -- "Virginia, Say No to the Mouse" (Feb. 24), on the proposed Disney theme park in Virginia's Prince William County, "a region of natural beauty and historical importance, flanked by the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Civil War
​

shrines of Manassas."
​

Your shrill characterization of Disney's America as merely a "business venture" and appropriate only to "10-year-old, television-nurtured sensibilities" slights the enormous economic and, yes, the educational potential of the attraction.
​

Disney's America will not cheapen our history, but will enliven it and bring it to more Americans, young and old. In the way that Epcot Center in Florida teaches children about science and world cultures, Disney's America seems poised to offer instructional fun in American history.
​

His letter ends with:
​

As a history enthusiast, not an adolescent in search of mindless entertainment, I'm excited about Disney's America. I can only hope that you will be too.
2007:

The Disney stage production Tarzan celebrates 350 performances on Broadway
2011:

Mars Needs Moms, a 3D computer-animated sci-fi film based on the book by Berkeley Breathed, is released by Walt Disney Pictures. [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]A young boy named Milo (Seth Green) gains a deeper appreciation for his mom (Joan Cusack) after Martians come to Earth to take her away.
​

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[trr1]

3/12

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]1938:
​

[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]D[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]isney's first full length animated feature [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] is released in the United Kingdom[/FONT]
1946:

Voice actor Frank Welker is born in Denver, Colorado. Often referred to as a "voice acting god" in Hollywood, Welker started out as an impressionist. His vast Disney credits include Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams, The Emperor's New School, Kim Possible, The Tigger Movie, Return to Neverland, Cinderella III: A Twist in Time, and Bambi II
1964:

Disney's family film A Tiger Walks[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif], starring Brian Keith and directed by Norman Tokar, is released. Based on a novel of the same name by Ian Niall, it tells the story of a mistreated Bengal Tiger who escapes from a traveling circus.
​

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

1987:

Art academic and executive, entrepreneur and former politician Robert J. Fitzpatrick is named president of Euro Disneyland. [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif](The resort will open in April 1992, and Fitzpatrick will leave the company the following year.)
​

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

1993:

The Cleveland radio station WMMS-FM/101.7 is purchased by Disney.
​

​

The film A Far Off Place (starring Reese Witherspoon and Ethan Embry) is released through Walt Disney Pictures & Amblin Entertainment. Playing ahead of A Far Off Place is the animated short Trail Mixup featuring Baby Herman and Roger Rabbit
1996:

Hazel Gilman, Disney Studio nurse and songwriter (under the pseudonym "Gil George"), passes away in Burbank, California. Born in 1904, she was not only the Disney Studio nurse, but also acted as Walt Disney's personal nurse. "Gil George" was the name under which she co-wrote songs for Disney films and television shows, including Mickey Mouse Club
2003:

The Orlando Business Journal reports that Walt Disney World has
​

received the Corporation of the Year Award from America's Blood Centers
​

in Washington, D.C. Disney World is recognized for outstanding contributions in blood
​

donations to the Central Florida Blood Bank. (America's Blood Centers is a national organization of
​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]independent blood banks that supply nearly half of the nation's blood supply.)
​

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

2011:

Kim Irvine, Disneyland's art director, is honored with a lifetime achievement award from the Themed Entertainment Association. The daughter of Disney animators Harvey and Leota Toombs, Kim first took a summer job at WED in 1970 at the age of 18. Since then she's played a key role in such Disneyland projects as producing the Haunted Mansion's holiday overlay, enhancing "it's a small world" and creating trash cans to fit in with the different lands​

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[trr1]

3/13

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]1900:
​

[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]W[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]riter & animator Ted Sears is born in Massachusetts (though raised
​

[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]in New York City). [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]In 1931, Walt Disney hired Sears (away from the Max Fleischer organization) to a
​

[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]long term contract not as an animator but as a senior writer - the Disney company's first. In the twenty-seven
​

[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]years that followed, Sears' credits included [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Snow White[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif], [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Pinocchio[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif], [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Dumbo[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif],[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Sleeping Beauty[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif], and the
​

[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Disneyland [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]television series. He also co-wrote narration for many of Disney's nature films, such as [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]The
​

[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Vanishing Prairie[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] and [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]The Living Desert[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif], with Winston Hibler[/FONT]
1928:

On a train ride back to California from New York City (with his wife Lillian) Walt Disney sends his brother and business partner Roy a Western Union telegram that reads: LEAVING TONITE STOPPING OVER KC ARRIVE HOME SUNDAY MORNING SEVEN THIRTY DON'T WORRY EVERYTHING OK WILL GIVE DETAILS WHEN ARRIVE WALT. This is in reference to the fact that although the Disney brothers have probably lost their animated creation Oswald the Rabbit to Charles Mintz (a ruthless producer who Walt had been in negotiations with while in NY City) ... Walt has a new idea for an animated mouse character
1947:

At the 19th Annual Academy Awards (held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles),
​

the Walt Disney Studio Sound Department wins an Oscar for innovations in locating
​

noise in sound tracks. Although nominated for Short Subjects, Cartoon - Disney's Squatter's Rights loses to
​

MGM's The Cat Concerto[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]. (It is the first time the awards are opened to the general public.)
​

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

1960:

Joseph Henry "Joe" Ranft, an animator, storyboard artist, and voice actor,
​

is born in Pasadena, California. Upon graduating from the California Institute of
​

the Arts, Ranft will start his career at Disney where he will work on such features as The Lion King, Beauty
​

and the Beast, The Rescuers Down Under, and Oliver & Company. In 1992 he will join Pixar and work on both Toy Story films, as well as A Bug's Life, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, and Cars.
​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif](Sadly a car accident in 2005 will cut short his life.)
​

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

1969:

Disney's film The Love Bug, starring Dean Jones, Michele Lee,
​

Buddy Hackett, and Joe Flynn is released. (It will be the
​

highest grossing film in the U.S. during 1969, and lead to three sequels and a limited
​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]TV series. The movie will also enhance the Volkswagen Beetle's image.)
​

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

2000:

The Omnimover vehicles are removed from the closed Horizons attraction in Epcot.
​

Since the beginning of this month, the building has been emptied in preparation for demolition. (Mission: SPACE
​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]will take its place.)
​

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

2001:

A 1,500-acre spread of the Disney Wilderness Preserve in Polk County, Florida continues to burn after a power line falls and ignites some brush. The fire affects land donated by the Walt Disney Company to The Nature Conservancy, a non-profit environmental group that is attempting to return some of the pastureland there to its original swamp condition
2005:

Walt Disney Company directors choose President Robert A. Iger to succeed Chief Executive Michael Eisner
​

(who will remain at the post until September 30).
​

​

W[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]alt Disney World's Typhoon Lagoon reopens with the new attraction the Crush 'n' Gusher water coaster.
​

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

2009:

Disney's live-action Race to Witch Mountain (a "modern re-imagining" of the 1975 Escape to Witch Mountain) is released. Directed by Andy Fickman, the film stars Dwayne Johnson, Anna Sophia Robb, Alexander Ludwig, and Carla Gugino. Making a cameo appearance as a train driver whose locomotive crashes after it gets caught in "alien crossfire" is Disney chairman ________ Cook. The role is a nod to the fact that Cook started his career with the company as a monorail and steam locomotive driver at Disneyland in 1970!
​

​

A new illuminated "Paradise Pier" sign on the California Screamin' roller coaster greets guests of Disney's California Adventure for the first time. [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]The sign, installed last night, reflects the "vintage Disney" themeing that is part of the park's makeover.
​

[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]​

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[trr1]

3/14

1920:
​

Cartoonist Hank Ketcham, best known as the creator of Dennis the Menace, is born in Seattle, Washington. He will start in the business as an animator first for Walter Lantz and then Walt Disney for 3 years - where he will work on such films as Fantasia, Bambi, and Pinocchio. In 1951 Ketcham will create Dennis the Menace[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif], based on his own 4-year-old son Dennis!
​

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

1942:

Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Pluto, and Dumbo appear on the cover of this day's Liberty (a weekly, general-interest magazine). The cover art, which depicts the characters paying their income taxes, has been created by Hank Porter, who over the course of his 15 year career at Disney will create dozens of illustrations for magazine covers, advertisements and articles
1948:

Comedian, actor, writer & film director Billy Crystal - the voice of Mike Wzowski in
​

Monsters, Inc. and Mike Car in Cars - is born in Long Beach, New York. It is rumoured that
​

he was originally offered the role of Buzz Lightyear for Toy Story - but turned it down! (An Alumni of Saturday Night
​

Live, movie fans will recognize Crystal from such classics as When Harry Met Sally, City Slickers, Mr. Saturday
​

Night and Analyze This[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].)
​

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

1965:

J. Randolph Richards, the President of the 77th Annual Tournament of Roses, announces that Walt Disney will serve as the parade's Grand Marshal in January 1966[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].
​

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

1975:

At Disney World, the film Magic Carpet 'Round the World is shown
​

for the last time at the Circle-Vision 360° Theater
1991:

Musical comedy librettist, lyricist, playwright, and director Howard Ashman,
​

known for his work on such Disney classics as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin,
​

and The Little Mermaid, passes away in New York City. He will be posthumously named a
​

Disney Legend in 2001. (Ashman was director, lyricist and bookwriter for the 1986 Broadway musical Smile and
​

also wrote the screenplay for the Frank Oz directed film adaptation of his musical Little Shop of Horrors[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].)
​

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

1992:

C. V. Wood (Cornelius Vanderbilt Wood) a theme park developer and designer of planned communities, passes away at age 71. [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Hired away from his position at the Stanford Research Institute in the early 1950s by Walt Disney, Wood was Vice President and General Manager of the Disneyland project. Although he played a huge part in the creation of the park, Wood and Walt had a falling out in 1956. Later, as Wood was trying to get other theme parks built on the East Coast, he billed himself as "The Master Planner of Disneyland" - a title that displeased Walt. Over the years Wood has been written out of Disney lore.
​

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

1994:

The Walt Disney Company proposes a restructuring "rescue" plan which will decrease the amount of Euro Disneyland's debt.[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] (Much has happened with Euro Disneyland since its opening and although there has been successes at the Paris theme park, the high debt incurred along the way has caused the financial problems to become the number one priority.) In order for the park to remain operational the debt must be lowered.
​

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

2003:

A[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]t 6 p.m., Cirque du Soleil celebrates a milestone at Walt Disney World, as the cast of La Nouba marks its 2000th performance at the Cirque du Soleil theater at Downtown Disney West Side. (La Nouba comes from the French "faire la nouba," which means "to party" or "to live it up.")
​

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

2008:

Block Party Bash officially opens, replacing the Disney Stars and Motor Cars parade at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Block Party Bash, a parade imported from Disney's California Adventure, features Disney-Pixar characters.
​

​

Marley, a baby giraffe, is born at Disney's Animal Kingdom weighing in at 122 pounds and standing just under six feet. [FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]It is the second giraffe to be born at the theme park this year.
​

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

2010:

Princess Tiana (from The Princess and the Frog) is officially inducted into the
​

Disney Princess Royal Court at The New York Palace Hotel in New York City.
​

Actress Noni Rose (the voice of Tiana) attends​

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1767:
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Andrew Jackson, the seventh United States President, is
​

born in the Waxhaws area near the border between North and
​

South Carolina. Jackson was the first president to be exhibited in a Disney park ...
​

a mannequin of "Old Hickory" was part of the Davy Crockett exhibit in Frontierland, latermoved to Tom Sawyer Island (a decade before "Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln").
​

Visit Jackson and all the U.S. Chief Executives at Disney World's The Hall of Presidents
1904:

Actor J. Pat O'Malley is born in Burnley, England. His Disney credits include Robin Hood, The Jungle Book, Mary Poppins, Son of Flubber and One Hundred and One Dalmatians. He also played the role of of Perkins, the English servant assigned to watch over Monty Markham in The Adventures of Spin and Marty. Along with Paul Frees, O'Malley voiced many of the pirates for Disneyland's
​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Pirates of the Caribbean attraction.
​

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

1960:

Christopher Michael Sanders, film animator and voice actor best known for co-directing the Disney animated feature Lilo & Stitch, and providing the voice of
​

Experiment 626 & Leroy for Disney's Leroy & Stitch, is born in Colorado. A 1984
​

graduate of the California Institute of the Arts, he has also served as a storyboard artist, artistic director, and character designer on Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and Mulan
1975:

The revised film America the Beautiful opens at the Circle-Vision 360° Theater at Walt Disney World, replacing Magic Carpet 'Round the World
1991:

Disney Afternoon Avenue, a colorful street of cartoon buildings located between It's a Small World and Videopolis, opens at Disneyland. Inspired by the success of the two-hour programming block Disney Afternoon (which will run through 1997) guests can meet TaleSpin star Baloo and Rescue Rangers[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] stars Chip 'n' Dale and Launchpad McQuack. (This area will be eliminated 6 months later, when construction begins for Mickey's Toontown.)
​

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

1998:

PB&J Otter, a half-hour animated television series, premieres on Playhouse Disney (the brand name for Disney Channel's preschool programs). A total of 65 episodes will be produced over the course of its three season run
2001:

The Disneyland Resort in California officially welcomes its 450-millionth guest, first-
​

time visitor to Disneyland, Mark Ramirez of Texas, a civilian production management
​

specialist for the U.S. Air Force. Ramirez, his wife, and three daughters are honored during a ceremony where he is presented with a lifetime pass to the Disneyland Resort (Disneyland and Disney's
​

California Adventure), a stay at the new Disney's Grand Californian Hotel and a gift pack. He is also given the honor of changing the official attendance sign at Disneyland's Train Station from 400 million to 450 million
2005:

The Academy Award-winning Disney/Pixar animated feature The Incredibles is released on DVD. Included as a bonus feature is Mr. Incredible and Pals - an animated Pixar short
2006:

In another first for Disney and Apple, High School Musical, Disney Channel's hit, becomes the first full length movie to be sold on Apple's iTunes Music Store
2009:

Walt Disney World guests and cast members pause to catch a glimpse of space shuttle Discovery as it soars over the early evening Florida sky. The seven-member crew lifts off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 7:43 p.m. EDT to deliver the final set of power-generating solar array wings and a new crew member to the International Space Station​

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3/16

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]1751:
​

[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]J[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]ames Madison, the fourth United States President, is born in
​

[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Port Conway, King George, Virginia. [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Considered one of the Founding
​

[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Fathers of the United States, Madison was also the "Father of the Constitution" - the
​

[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]principal author of the document. Visit him and all the U.S. Chief Executives at Disney
​

[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]World's The Hall of Presidents[/FONT]
1911:

Motion-picture designer & Disney Legend Harper Goff, who collaborated with Walt Disney on Disneyland's design, is born in Fort Collins, Colorado. His family later moved to Santa Ana,
​

California where he attended the Chouinard Art Institute. He began in the
​

business at Warner Brothers as a set designer on such films as Casablanca and
​

The Adventures of Don Juan. Harper met Walt Disney in 1951, and was asked
​

to sketch out a possible True-Life Adventure short called 20,000 Leagues Under
​

the Sea. A huge Jules Verne fan, Harper designed what became the film's
​

famous Nautilus. Harper later worked on Disneyland where his concepts for Main
​

Street established the fact that a story could be told with architecture (he
​

designed the park's City Hall). He also led the design effort for Epcot's World
​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Showcase pavilions and played banjo as a member of the Firehouse Five Plus Two (a Dixieland jazz band made up of Disney studio employees).
​

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

1923:

Animator, desginer, Imagineer and Disney Legend Joyce Carlson is born in Racine,
​

Wisconsin. Her 56 years at Disney include creating the original It's a Small World for the New York World's Fair of 1964. Carlson first worked as an ink artist on such films as Cinderella, Peter Pan and Sleeping Beauty and
​

later as the lead ink artist for the 1955 Disney classic Lady and the Tramp. Carlson moved to Central Florida
​

in 1982 to work at Disney World as a senior show production designer. She retired from her full-time position at
​

WDW in 2000, but remained working for Disney through 2007. Carlson's Disney World window, which is on
​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]the second floor of a structure along Main Street U.S.A, reads, "Dolls by Miss Joyce, Dollmaker for the World."
​

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

1961:

Disney's black & white live-action comedy The Absent-Minded
​

Professor, starring Fred MacMurray and Nancy Olsen, is
​

released. The film is produced in black & white to facilitate a number of unique
​

special effects. The film's "Medfield Fight Song" is written by Richard M. and Robert B.
​

Sherman, their first song for a Disney feature. Disneyland peformer Wally Boag is
​

MacMurray's stunt-double ... particularly in the airborne scenes! The film is based on
​

the short story A Situation of Gravity, by Samuel W. Taylor. (A colorized version of The
​

Absent-Minded Professor will be released in 1986.)
​

Also released is the animated short The Saga of Windwagon
​

Smith, featuring the vocals of Rex Allen and the Sons of the
​

Pioneers
1968:

Louis Armstrong and his 7-piece band (augmented with a studio orchestra and choir) record 4 songs for the upcoming LP Disney Songs the Satchmo Way[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] in a Hollywood studio. This day's session includes "The Ballad of Davy Crockett," "When You Wish Upon A Star," "Bibbidy-Bobbidy-Boo," and "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah."
​

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

1974:

At Walt Disney World, Magic Carpet 'Round the World replaces America the
​

Beautiful in Tomorrowland's Circle-Vision Theater. (A revised America the
​

Beautiful[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] will later return in March 1975.)
​

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

2002:

Another Rock 'n' Roller Coaster debuts - this time at the grand opening of Walt Disney Studios Paris (located at Disneyland Resort Paris in France). It is Disney's 10th theme park[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] in the world. Other attractions making their debut include Animagique (a black light show) & Armageddon: Les Effetcs Speciaux (a voyage through the history of special effects). The Studios is the smallest of all the Disney theme parks.
​

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

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]2010:
[/FONT]
[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]D[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]irector Lee Unkrich, producer Darla K. Anderson and executive producer John Lasseter are on hand for the [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Toy Story 3[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] screening at the ShoWest convention in Las Vegas. [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Pixar's newest feature is scheduled for a June release. (ShoWest is the most prestigious and longest running event exclusively for the cinema exhibition and distribution community.)
[/FONT]​

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3/17

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]1930:
​

[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]A[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]stronaut James B. Irwin, the 8th man to walk on the moon (as a member of Apollo
​

[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]15), is born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 1971 he will drive the the first Lunar
​

[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Rover on the moon and in 1975 take the first official ride aboard Walt Disney
​

[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]World's Space Mountain.[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] (Read more about Irwin and other astronauts who have appeared at Disney parks, [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]HERE[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].)
​

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

1951:

Actor and 1998 Disney Legend Kurt Russell, the voice of Copper in Disney's 1981 release The Fox and the Hound is born Kurt Vogel Russell in Springfield, Massachusetts. Originally signed to a contract by Walt Disney himself, Russell's live-action Disney credits include Follow Me, Boys! (1966), The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968), The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit (1968), The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969), The Barefoot Executive (1971), Now You See Him, Now You Don't (1972), Charley and the Angel (1973), Superdad (1973), The Strongest Man in the World (1975), Miracle (2004)and Sky High (2005). Russell also appeared in a March 1970 episode of The Wonderful World of Disney[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] (along with the Osmond Brothers), which centered on Disneyland's new Haunted Mansion attraction.
​

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

1955:

Actor and film director Gary Sinise, who appears in Epcot's Mission: SPACE attraction as CAPCOM, is born in Blue Island, Illinois. (CAPCOM stands for Capsule
​

Communicator.) Sinise also has taken part in Epcot's annual Candlelight Processional, held every
​

Christmas season at WDW. (He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for
​

his 1994 role of Lieutenant Dan Taylor in Forrest Gump[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].)
​

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

1960:

Actress Vicki Lewis - the voice of Deb/Flo in Finding Nemo - is born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Her Disney credits also include An Extremely Goofy Movie, the TV series Hercules, and the Disney Channelseries Sonny With a Chance. (TV fans of the series Newsradio[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] may recall Lewis for her role of Beth.)
​

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

1971:

Disney's live-action comedy The Barefoot Executive is released. The film stars Kurt Russell (who turns 20 years old on this day) as Steven Post, an eager mailroom clerk desperate to impress his production company bosses with his clever televison programming skills. Post discovers that his girlfriend's pet chimpanzee has the ability to predict which television programs will receive the highest ratings! The Barefoot Executive[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] provides the film debut of John Ritter as Roger, the scheming nephew of the boss, played by veteran funny-man Joe Flynn. Harry Morgan plays the network president and character actor Wally plays Merton his chauffeur.
​

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

1982:

A new television series Herbie The Love Bug (based on the Love Bug
​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]movies) premieres with the episode "Herbie the Matchmaker."
​

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

1999:

Test Track officially opens at Walt Disney World's Epcot. Sponsored by General Motors, the attraction is the fastest ride ever designed (at this time) by Disney's Imagineers ... guests can reach speeds of 65 mph!
​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif](The ride has been up and running since December 1998.)
​

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

2001:

The United Kingdom Pavilion at Disney World's Epcot celebrates St. Patrick's Day with special food, decorations and entertainment. Storyteller Darby O'Gill and The Butler School of Irish Dance perform throughout the afternoon. The Rose & Crown Restaurant serve traditional green beer and green Sprite, as well as corned beef, cabbage, Irish stew and soda bread.
​

​

The animated series Disney's House of Mouse debuts the 9th episode
​

"Rent Day."
​

​

The National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., presents an exhibit called "The Architecture of Reassurance: Designing the Disney Theme Parks." The exhibition (which will run through August 5) is organized by the Canadian Center for Architecture
2005:

"The Mice on Disney's Board" an article by Roy E. Disney and
​

Stanley P. Gold is published in the Los Angeles Times.
​

​

Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, the newest ride at Disneyland, officially opens after weeks of soft openings. Also reopening is the Disneyland Railroad which had been shut down (for reballasting, regauging and new block signals) since December 2004.
​

​

Actress Julie Andrews (the star of Disney's 1964 classic feature Mary Poppins) attends a charity performance of the London stage musical Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward Theatre. She appears onstage during the curtain calls, and gives a speech recalling her own memories from making the film and praises the cast for
​

their new interpretation!
​

​

Over at Walt Disney World, the live show Cinderellabration begins soft openings at Magic Kingdom's Castle Forecourt Stage. The show has
​

been imported from Tokyo Disneyland Park as part of the
​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Happiest Celebration on Earth.
​

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3/18

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]1928:
​

[/FONT]

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]W[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]alt and Lillian Disney arrive back in Hollywood after spending sometime in New York. [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Walt had unsuccessfully attempted to re-negotiate a deal with [/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]Oswald[/FONT][FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] distributor Charles Mintz[/FONT]
1933:

The Disney film Mickey's Mellerdrammer, directed by
​

Wilfred Jackson, is released. In this cartoon, Mickey and
​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]his friends put on a production of "Uncle Tom's Cabin."
​

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

1954:

Disney animator Ward Kimball appears as a contestant on
​

Groucho Marx's television quiz show You Bet Your Life[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif].
​

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

1955:

A[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] ground breaking ceremony takes place at 11:15 a.m. in Anaheim, California for the Disneyland Hotel. Among the guests in attendance are Roy Disney (Walt's brother), C. V. Wood (Disneyland's vice-president & general manager), Anaheim's Mayor Charles Pearson, and members of the Wrather family (owners of the Disneyland Hotel).
​

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

1967:

The Pirates of the Caribbean attraction opens in New Orleans Square at
​

Disneyland, California. The debut kicks off with great excitement, as a group of marauding sea-dogs,
​

led by Wally Boag, first shanghai the sailing ship Columbia before bursting through the new attractions' doors
​

with a battering ram! All the figures in the attraction are designed by Imagineer Marc Davis and the lavishly
​

detailed sets are by artist & color stylist Claude Coats. (It is the largest audio-animatronic project to date and
​

the last attraction Walt Disney himself worked on extensively before his death.)
​

Also opening at Disneyland is the Blue Bayou Restaurant in New Orleans Square. The restaurant is built
​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]within the same show building that houses part of the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, with parts of the ride even taking place beneath the restaurant.
​

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

1985:

T[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]he American Broadcasting Company (ABC) announces plans to merge with Capital Cities Communications to form Cap Cities/ABC. The $3.5 billion merger is the 11th largest corporate merger in U.S. history. (A decade and a few months later, the Walt Disney Company will announce that it has reached an agreement to merge with Cap Cities/ABC to form the largest entertainment and television production conglomerate in the world in a deal worth more than 19 billion dollars.)
​

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

1989:

At Disneyland, 150 visitors are stranded 40 feet in the air in cable cars! The skyway cable cars come to a stop after someone in one of the four-passenger gondolas begins rocking the car vigorously! Firefighters from the Anaheim, Orange County and Garden Grove Fire Departments assist in the rescue - which thankfully results in no injuries.
​

On a happier note - Disneyland's "Blast to the Past," a 3-month long 1950s event,
​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]kicks off on this day.
​

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

2001:

The world's first-ever digitally transmitted and projected feature film premiere, of Dimension Films' Spy Kids, takes place at Disney's California Adventure as part of a benefit for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Children's Diabetes Center at UCLA. Boeing Satellite System, a unit of The Boeing Company, hosts the event and uses its Boeing digital cinema system to deliver Spy Kids to the park's Hyperion Theater. (Boeing digital cinema is a network system that digitally transmits first-run films directly to movie theatres via satellite-based and fiber-optic networks.) Prior to the premiere, park visitors are treated to a parade
​

up Main Street, featuring several of the stars of Spy Kids.
​

​

"Travel Channel Secrets: Inside Disneyland Paris" airs for
​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]the first time in the U.S.
​

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

2007:

The Pirates of the Caribbean 40th Anniversary Product Release & Signing takes place at the Disney Gallery in New Orleans Square, Disneyland.
​

Also, the trailer for Pirates 3: At World's End[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif] premieres at Pirates Ultimate Fan Events across the country.
​

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

2010:

Actor Fess Parker, a baby-boomer idol in the 1950s who launched a craze for
​

coonskin caps as Disney's Davy Crockett, passes away at the age of 85. The first
​

installment of "Davy Crockett," with Buddy Ebsen as Crockett's sidekick, debuted back in December 1954
​

as part of the Disneyland television series. Parker also appeared in such live-action Disney features as The
​

Great Locomotive Chase (1956), Westward Ho, the Wagons! (1956), Old Yeller (1957) and The Light in the
​

Forest (1958). Later in life he bought and sold property, built hotels (including the elegant Fess Parker's Wine
​

Country Inn & Spa in Los Olivos and Fess Parker's Doubletree Resort Santa Barbara) and grew wine grapes on
​

[FONT=Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]a 2,200-acre vineyard on California's Central Coast ... where he was dubbed King of the Wine Frontier.
​

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