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Date of Birth
Watler Elias Walt Disney was born on Decmber 5th, 1901. He was born in the Hermosa part of Chicago, Illinois. His parents were Elias Disney & Flora Call Disney. Walter W. Disney was 1 of 5 childern with 3 brothers and 1 sister. -
Developing the Love for Art
He lived most of his childhood in Marceline, Missouri and that's were he develpoed his love for drawing & painting. Disney ended up selling some of his art works to his neighbours and close family friends. (In the picture on the left is a picture of Disneys house in Marceline, Missouri) -
Teenage Years
He attended McKineley High School in Chicago and that's where he took drawing and photography classes which was also presented in that schools newspaper. At night Disney would go to night course at the Chicago Art Institute. (Photo to your left is one of his cartoons which I believe was in the schools newspaper) -
Drop Out
When Disney was 16, he was a highschool drop out. He dropped out of school to join the Army, only to be rejected because he was to young. So, he got involved with the Red Cross and was appointed to France to where he drove an ambulance for a year. -
Returning to his Dream
When he came back from France (1919), he moved back into Kansas City and thats where he pursued the career as a newspaper artist. Roy (his brother) got him a job at Pesmen-Rubin Art Studio and thats where he met Ubbe Eert Iwerks, a cartoonist. From there on him and Disney worked at Kasas City Film Ad Compny, thats where they made commercials which situated with cutout animation. Walter started to experiment with cameras and drawn cel animation. -
Disney's Own Animation Business
Disney decided to open up his business for animation and hired Fred Harman as his first employee. They made cartoons were called "Laugh-O-Grams". They made a deal with Kansas City theater to show there cartoons on there screens.
The catoons were massive hit and were very popular, which lead him to hire more people, made up of Harman's brother Hugh and Iwerks. Each cartoon was approx. 7 minutes long, linking with live action and animation. -
Bankruptcy
In 1923, Disney was forced announce he was bankrupt and shut down the studio due to the debt. Disney and his brother Roy saved a lot of money and rearranged themselves to Hollywood and found out and relocated Iwerks. They all opened up a studio in Hollywood called "Disney Brothers' Studio". -
Marriage to Lillian
Disney married Lillian Marie Disney in the year 1925 in Idaho. Walt Disney's parents couldn't attend and Lillian's father had passed away so her uncle, cheif of the Lewiston Fire Department, gave her away to Walt Disney. The 2 of them had 2 daughters, they were named Diane (she died in 2013) and Sharon (she died in 1993).
After Disney's death, she remarried to John L. Truyens but then he died in February 1981. Lillian died ecactly 31 years after Walt Disney and died due to a stroke. -
Creating Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
Oswald was created in the 1926, he was almost a straightway success but to only later to be taken away to Mintz. -
Creating Mickey Mouse
After the scandle that Margaret Winkler and her husband done by stealing the rights to Oswald and all of Disney's animators expect Iwerks, The brothers, their wives and Iwerks went straight away to designing the character Mickey Mouse and 2 others. Mickey Mouse and the others first appeared in "Plane Crazy" and " The Gallopin' Gaucho". Both silent films and they didn't get far but then they reconsidered and put sound and music, the film was a short film called "Steamboat Wille" and it was a hit. -
New Cartoon and Oscars
In 1929, Disney created a cartoon called "Silly Symphonies". He even created new characters which was Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy and Pluto.
One of there cartoons won an Oscar for the cartoon "Flowers and Trees". This was also the first to be produced in colour. -
The 3 Little Pigs
Disney produced the cartoon "The 3 Little Pigs" and with it's top song "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" and this became the thing dispite the Great Depression. -
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Disney then made Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and it was the first time a full legth cartoon aired in Los Angeles and brought in $1.499 million even though the Great Depression just happened. Snow White won a total of 8 oscars. -
Walt Disney Studios
Dsiney created a studio for everything to happen in it. It was bulit in 1939 but in 1940 the studio began there regular work like designing and live action features. -
Animated Films
In 1940 to 1942 Disney created 4 more full length films which included Pinocchio in 1940, Fantasia also in 1940, Dumbo one year later in 1941 and Bambi in 1942. -
More Animated Films
In 1950 Cinderella was released. Tagged along with that some live action film happened with the films Treasure Island in 1950, Alice in Wonderland in 1951, Peter Pan in 1953, Lady and the Tramp in 1955, Sleeping Beauty in 1959 and 101 Dalmatians in 1961. Over 100 features were originated at that Walt Design Studios. -
Opening of Disneyland
Dsiney opened a Theme park that would be operated all seasons and the theme was Fairy Tales and Disneys characters .
He got this idea when he went to a theme park in Los Angeles and was watching his daughters, Diane and Sharon on a ride. His idea was lurking in his head but stayed dormant until he decided to make it an actual thing and he created a theme park. -
Last Major Success
Before Disney passed away his last major success was MAry Poppins in 1964. It was a motion picture that he composed himself. It won 4 oscars. -
Date of Death
When the costruction of the theme park and an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow in Flordia, Walter W. Disney was diagnosed with lung cancer. When he passed away on the 15th of Decmeber, he was cremated and his ashes were layed at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles. -
Opening of the Theme Park & Resort
After Walter W. Disney's death, his brother Roy went on and finished the plans for the Theme park and he named it after his brother, Walt Disney World in Florida.
