Birth: Dec. 5, 1901
Death: Dec. 15, 1966
Entertainment Magnate and Film Pioneer.
Most remembered for creating Mickey Mouse,
Donald Duck, and a host of other cartoon
characters. He has won 32 Oscars, more than any
other person, for his extraordinary achievements
in films.
|
 |
|
Born Walter Elias Disney, the son of Elias and
Flora Disney in Chicago, Illinois. His father's
ancestors had come to America from Kilkenny,
Ireland, seeking to escape from religious
persecution. His father was always seeking
success in many occupations but always finding
failure, and the Disney family was always poor.
Walt found that he could escape his father's
harsh discipline by drawing, and in 1917, when
he was 16 years old, he lied about his age to
join the American Red Cross Ambulance Corps.
When he was mustered out at the end of World War
I, he set up shop as a commercial artist in
Kansas City, Missouri. There he discovered the
world of animation, and Walt took to it. Moving
to Los Angeles in 1923 to be with his more
successful brother, Roy, Walt began drawing
commercially, making a modest living by drawing
for the Alice series of cartoons, about a live
action girl who travels to the world of animated
cartoon animals. |
 |
In 1927, his first really successful commercial
cartoon, featuring Oswald the Rabbit, became a
success, but Walt lost the rights to the
character when sued by his distributor. From
then on, Walt insisted on owning the
distribution rights to his creations.
|
 |
In 1928, Walt created Mickey Mouse. His third
Mickey Mouse film, "Steamboat Willie," was the
first cartoon to use synchronized sound and
became an overnight success. Walt was the voice
of Mickey for the first ten years of the
cartoon. In 1934, Disney pioneered the first
full length cartoon movie, "Snow White", and
again, critics were overcome by the sheer
popular response of the public to the movie. In
1950, he produced his first live-action film, "Treasure
Island," and in 1955, he opened his first theme
park, Disneyland. |
  |
 Prior
to his death in 1966 in Los Angeles, California,
of lung cancer, he began work on his latest
theme park in Orlando, Florida: Walt Disney's
World.
His brother, Roy, the business genius behind the
scenes, continued to run the company, and 40
years after Walt's death, the Disney empire is
still financially strong and keeping to Walt's
legacy.
Shortly after Walt's death, the Disney Company
executive board was shown a short film that Walt
made just before his death, where he addressed
each board member by name, telling him what he
expected of him, and ending the film by saying "I'll
be seeing you."
|
  |
|
Walt Disney was one of the few Americans to be
honored with a US postage stamp issued less than
two years after his death (the US Postal Service
prefers to issue stamps at least ten years after
a person has died; an exception is made for US
presidents), when a 6 cent stamp was issued in
September 1968 in his honor. (bio by: Kit and
Morgan Benson) |
|
 
|
|
 Burial:
Forest Lawn Memorial Park(Glendale)
Glendale
Los Angeles County
California, USA
Plot: Small private garden to the left of the
entrance to the Freedom Mausoleum.
|
  |
|
|
|
|
