Walt Disney

(16 December 1997) Wife Lillian Disney passed away.

Born at 12:30am-CST.

Death caused by circulatory failure due to complications from lung cancer.

Disneys death spawned two rumors that became urban legends. The first is that he had his body cryogenically frozen. The second held that he was buried somewhere on the grounds of Disneyland. Both rumors are completely untrue. Disney was cremated and his ashes interred at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.

Active anti-communist.

Father-in-law of Ron Miller (married to his daughter Diane Disney ).

As a teenager, Walt Disney was a member of the Order of DeMolay, a youth organization affiliated with Free Masons.

Interred at Forest Lawn, Glendale, California, USA. Facing the Freedom Mausoleum, to your left hand side are two small private gardens. His is the one farthest back. Plaque is on the wall behind the trees (to your left standing at the gate).

Holds the record of winning the most Academy Awards with 22 wins in competitive categories. Additionally, he won three honorary Oscars and an Irving Thalberg Memorial Award.

Identified as the founder of the Tomorrowland Transit Authority in film clips shown in the queue area of Rocket Rods (formerly, the CircleVision 360 Theater) at Disneyland.

Became interested in personalizing animals characters after carelessly killing a small owl as a young boy. He felt deeply remorseful and guilty and vowed never again to kill a living creature.

Father of Diane Disney (born December 18, 1933).

Inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2000 for the multiplane camera.

Worked as a paperboy as a youth.

In the animated short Mickeys Rival , a character named Mortimer Mouse was modeled after him.

Chose Anaheim, California for the location of Disneyland after demographics experts convinced him it would become a major population center within 10 years. They were right.

Reportedly, his famous trademark signature was designed for him by one of his animators.

Was a frequent target of satire by animator Jay Ward.

Reports surfaced that shortly after his death, Disney Company executive board members were shown a short film that Disney had made before his death, where he addressed the board members by name, telling each of them what was expected of them. The film ended with Disney saying, "Ill be seeing you."

Mickey Mouses birthday is November 18, 1928, the date when Steamboat Willie was released.

Donald Ducks birthday is June 9, 1934, the date when The Wise Little Hen was released.

The name Donald Duck is frequently written in on voting ballots in Scandinavian countries as a protest vote.

Inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians in 1993.

Shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, an Army draft notice, addressed to Mr. Donald Duck, was delivered to the Disney studios.

Tribute in the Memory of Film section at the Flanders International Film Festival in Ghent, Belgium.

Walts father was born in Bluevale, Ontario, Canada, to Irish parents; he also had distant English ancestry. Walts mother was born in Ohio, of German, English, and distant Scottish, descent. The Disney family came from Kilkenny, Ireland. They settled in County Kilkenny to escape religious persecution and later traveled to America.

Daughter Sharon Disney was adopted.

Grandfather of Christopher Disney Miller , Joanna Miller , Tamara Scheer , Jennifer Miller-Goff , Walter Elias Disney Miller , Ronald Miller , Victoria Brown.

Nephew of Robert Disney.

Brother of Herbert Disney , Raymond Disney, Roy O. Disney and Ruth Disney.

Son of Elias Disney and Flora Disney.

Was dyslexic.

After adapting Ludwig van Beethoven s 6th Symphony for the soundtrack of Fantasia , he exclaimed, "Gee! Thisll make Beethoven!".

Pictured on a 6 US commemorative postage stamp issued in his honor, 11 September 1968.

In 1981, Walt Disney Productions (now The Walt Disney Company) purchased the rights to the Disney name from Retlaw Enterprises, the Disney familys company. Retlaw is Walter spelled backwards.

His grandfather lived in Ontario, Canada. From there he moved to the United States.

Was a major contributor to the success of the 1964-1965 New York Worlds Fair, primarily via his creative use of audio-animatronics (lifelike, internally animated figures). Among other things, he designed the Carousel of Progress for the General Electric exhibit, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln for the State of Illinois exhibit, and, most enduringly, Its a Small World for Pepsi Cola. One of the most popular attractions at the Fair, featuring animated figures of children from all over the world, the latter has since successfully established itself as a perennial crowd-pleaser at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. All three exhibits were transformed into attractions at Disneyland. Only the Carousel of Progress is not still open. It was closed to be turned into America Sings in Tomorrowland.

It is Hollywood legend that, lying on his deathbed at St. Jospehs Hospital in Burbank (across the street from the Disney Studios) his last words were about how shabby the studios water tower looked. Visible from a nearby freeway, towering above the backlot, it is adorned with the image of his most beloved creation, Mickey Mouse. In adherance with what they believed were their founders last wishes, studio executives have made sure the water tower was regularly repainted since he died in 1966.

He was a chain smoker. He avoided smoking when he was in public view, especially where he might be seen by children. His smokers cough often heralded his arrival in a particular wing of the studio, allowing off-task employees time to get on task.

In his autobiography, one-time Disney storyboard artist Bill Peet essentially described Walt Disney as a chain-smoking "work-a-holic" who was prone to strong mood swings.

He often called composer Richard M. Sherman into his office to play the piano for him. His favorite song was Feed the Birds from Mary Poppins .

He got his idea and inspiration for Disneyland, when he visited the "Tivoli"-park in Denmark.

Was initiated into DeMolay at the Mother Chapter in Kansas City Missouri, in 1920.

Received the DeMolay Legion of Honor in 1931.

On November 13, 1986, he was a member of the first group to be inducted into the DeMolay Hall of Fame.

His father, Elias Disney , was a professional carpenter by trade who, among other things, worked on the construction of the 1893 Chicago Worlds Fair, the prototype for all Worlds Fairs to follow. When Walt and his brother Roy O. Disney were boys, their father would tell them of the many wonders of the Fair, such as the first ferris wheel, thus inspiring the dreams that would make them both successful as adults.

Was awarded an honorary Oscar "For the creation of Mickey Mouse" by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences at the fifth Awards ceremony held on November 10, 1932, at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. It was only the second honorary Oscar yet awarded by the Academy. The recipient of the first honorary Oscar, Charles Chaplin , was supposed to present the award to Disney, but he stayed home that night.

He also founded the motion picture distribution company Buena Vista Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of his empire. His empire now includes Hollywood Pictures Company and its specialty films unit; Caravan Pictures; Touchstone Pictures; Miramax Films Corporation and its specialty films unit, Dimension Films; American Broadcasting Company (ABC), ABC Family Channel, and ESPN.

According to former Disney animators, the whispered code that Walt Disney was nearby was "Man is in the forest," a sly reference to the film Bambi .

Brother-in-law of Hazel Sewell.

Uncle of Marjorie Sewell.

Profiled in in J.A. Aberdeens "Hollywood Renegades: The Society of Independent Motion Picture Producers.".

Although he has been called politically conservative, actually voted mainly for Democrats until the 1940 presidential election. This was a main reason why he was asked by HUAC to testify, and was always particularly anti-communist, because his worst nightmare was being called one.

He was one of the founding members of the right-wing Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals in February 1944, along with Robert Taylor , Adolphe Menjou , Sam Wood , Norman Taurog , Gary Cooper , Clarence Brown and Clark Gable.

Wanted to name Mickey Mouse "Mortimer Mouse" when he drew him. He showed the picture to his wife and his wife did not like the idea and told him to name him "Mickey Mouse". Some historians believe that Mickeys name was inspired from a toy mouse by Performo Toy Company named "Micky" (spelled without an "e"), which was extremely popular and had already been selling at the time when Disney was developing his Mickey Mouse.

Was first nominated for an Oscar (as producer) in 1932, the year he also got the honorary award for creating Mickey Mouse. From that year until 1965 (the year before his death), Disney received one or more Academy Award nominations every year except 1933 and 1941.

Supported Ronald Reagan s run for governor of California in 1966.

The last animated movie he ever put his personal touch on was The Jungle Book (1967/I) .

Disney had been in bad health for a few months, before he finally entered St. Joseph Hospital in Burbank, California, on 2 November 1966, complaining of pain in his neck and back. An X-ray revealed a tumor on his left lung and surgery was advised. Disney, however, checked out to finish some studio business and re-entered the hospital on 6 November. Surgery was performed the next day and his left lung was found to be entirely cancerous and was removed.

He refused to allow Alfred Hitchcock to film at Disneyland in the early 1960s, because Hitchcock had made "that disgusting movie Psycho .".

Served in a Red Cross unit with Ray Kroc , future founder of the McDonalds fast food chain.

Disney is credited as Retlaw Yensid for Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N. s original story. The pseudonym is Walter Disney reversed. The Disney familys company was named Retlaw Enterprises, Disneys first full name reversed.

Theme parks Disneyland and Disneyworld are respectively located in Orange County (Anaheim, California) and Orange County (Orlando, Florida).

Disneys record-breaking streaks of consecutive Oscar wins include: 1934-1940 (7) and 1951-1956 (6).

Has a record of 59 Oscar-nominations.

Walts ancestors were named dIsigny, and came from Isigny-sur-Mer in Normandy, France. In 1066, two soldiers, Hughes dIsigny and his son Robert, fought with William the Conqueror during the conquest of England. After the conquest, Hughes dIsigny and his son decided to stay in England. Their name was, over the generations, transformed into "Disney". In the XVII century, a branch of the Disney family emigrated to Ireland. In 1834, Arundel Elias Disney and his brother Robert emigrated from Kilkenny County, Ireland, to Northern America with their families. They left Liverpool and arrived to New York on October 3rd. Once in America, the two brothers parted. Robert established himself in a farm in the Midwest, whereas Arundel decided to reach Goderich Township, Ontario.

Good friend of Art Linkletter.

Became friends with Charles Chaplin during their respective days at United Arists in the 1930s; Disney credited Chaplin for helping him correctly pace his feature films.

Personally disliked Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan because of the lack of "heart" and "warmth" in their main characters. Was very sad about the unfavorable reception of Fantasia as he was proud of the film. Ironically, the first re-issue of Fantasia after his death was the first time it turned a profit.

Among his favorite desserts were lemon meringue pie and chocolate ice cream soda.

Survived the 1918 flu.

Although he wore a mustache all his life, he forbade his employees to wear them, not wanting to compromise on the "clean-cut image" that the Disney company had. In the early 1940s he made exceptions for two favored staff members, Ub Iwerks and animator Bill Tytla.

Before his 35th birthday, his brother Roy encouraged employees to throw the boss a surprise party. Two of the animators thought it would be hilarious to make a short movie of Mickey and Minnie Mouse "consummating their relationship." When Disney saw the animation at the party, he feigned laughter and playfully asked who made the film. As soon as the two animators came forward, he fired them on the spot and left.

The day that he opened Disneyland in Anaheim, a plumbers strike broke out and water pressure was restricted to avoid plumbing problems. Disney had to choose between either water fountains or toilets, there wasnt enough water for both. He chose toilets, causing one reporter to half-jokingly quip, "Walts trying to force us to buy Coca-Cola.".

Served as a "friendly witness" before the House Committee for Unamerican Activities (HUAC) in 1947.

Fourteen of the seventeen animated films produced during Disneys lifetime, were drawn from European legends and fables.

Very opposed to Hollywoods monopolistic film production market in the 1930s. He became one of the founding members of the Society for Independent Motion Picture Producers.

Built a life-size train set surrounding his house in Holmby Hills, CA.

His favorite films he produced were Bambi and Dumbo . He also held Fantasia and Mary Poppins in very high regard.

Disney was long rumored to be anti-Semitic during his lifetime, and such rumors have persisted after his death. Disneys 2006 biographer Neal Gabler, the first writer to gain unrestricted access to the Disney archives, concluded that available evidence does not support such accusations. "Thats one of the questions everybody asks me," Gabler said in a CBS interview. "My answer to that is, not in the conventional sense that we think of someone as being an anti-Semite. But he got the reputation because, in the 1940s, he got himself allied with a group called the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals, which was an anti-Communist and anti-Semitic organization. And though Walt himself, in my estimation, was not anti-Semitic, nevertheless, he willingly allied himself with people who were anti-Semitic, and that reputation stuck. He was never really able to expunge it throughout his life." Disney ultimately distanced himself from the Motion Picture Alliance in the 1950s. The Walt Disney Family Museum acknowledges that Disney did have "difficult relationships" with some Jewish men, and that ethnic stereotypes common to films of the 1930s were included in some early cartoons, such as Three Little Pigs; but points out that he employed Jews throughout his career, and was named "Man Of The Year" in 1955 by the Bnai Brith chapter in Beverly Hills.

Met Ray Kroc while both were training to drive ambulances for the Red Cross during World War I; the War ended before they could be sent overseas. Years later, Kroc, now CEO of McDonalds, approached Disney about opening a McDonalds at Disneyland, which Disney was in the process of building. But the deal fell through when Kroc refused Disneys demand to increase the price of McDonalds French fries from 10 to 15 cents.

Despite the fact that he hosted his television show for more than 12 years and was one of the most recognizable figures in the world, Disney appeared on-camera in only one of his films, The Reluctant Dragon (1941/I) .

Died at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center of circulatory collapse brought on by lung cancer. He was pronounced dead at 9:30 on the morning of December 15th, 1966, just ten days after his 65th birthday. Despite the urban legend that he was cryogenically frozen, Disney was in fact cremated on December 17th, 1966 and had his ashes were interred at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles, California.

His favorite song was "Feed the Birds" from Mary Poppins . When he was depressed Walt would call Richard M. Sherman to his office and have him play the song. According to Sherman, the song held special meaning for Disney; he considered it to be a perfect summation of the spirit of his company, and why he created Walt Disney Pictures in the first place.

Even though Walt himself never knew it, Merlin in The Sword in the Stone was modeled after him. Story writer Bill Peet saw them both as ill-tempered, mischievous, and completely brilliant.

Tom Hanks is a distant relative of Walt Disney. Hanks portrayed Walt Disney in the 2013 film Saving Mr. Banks .

Dropped out of high school to join the Army.

Voice of Mickey Mouse from 1928-1947.

Inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame in 2015.

Disneys last words before dying of lung cancer were Kurt Russell written on a piece of paper.

When Walt Disney was on the set of The Monkeys Uncle , Judy the Chimpanzee who played "Stanley" liked to come over to his Directors Chair and sit in his lap.

Exotic Animal Trainer Ralph Helfer supplied many of the animals for Walt Disneys films.

Greatly disliked being called Mr Disney and would insist on being referred to by his first name by employees. Occasionally when he was referred to as Mr Disney, hed say something along the lines of "Please, call me Walt. The only Mr. at the Disney Studios is our lawyer, Mr. Lessing.".

When Walt Disney picked up his honorary Oscar statuettes for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs , he told the Academy Award audience about Pinocchio which was still in production, holding their attention for a full 25 minutes.

Walt Disney smoked three packs of unfiltered cigarettes a day throughout his adult life, a habit he never tried to quit. His favorite brands were the now-defunct Sweet Caporal, Camels, and Lucky Strikes. He also acquired a fondness for Gitanes (a French import) following a visit to Europe. When the U.S. Surgeon General issued the landmark 1964 report that first linked tobacco-use with ill health, Walts daughter Diane Disney bought him cartons of filtered cigarettes and made him promise to smoke them. He did - but only after tearing off the filters. His rationale was, "I promised her Id use them, but I didnt tell her how I would use them." Walt died from lung cancer two years later.

Walt was fond of animals but had reservations about cats because, as he put it, "You cant tell them what to do".

Played by Cliff Yates in Hollywood Mouth 3 .

Walt had very simple tastes in food. He preferred hamburger to steak, and chili (with beans) to just about everything else. When he traveled overseas he brought along a suitcase full of canned chili, and ordered the horrified chefs of the posh hotels where he stayed to heat the stuff up for him.

Walt Disney was fired from his first job as an animator for the Kansas City Star (Ernest Hemingway also worked there a year before him) because he "lacked imagination". This story is often cited as a reason to persevere.

[on the Order of DeMolay, a Masonic youth organization] I feel a great,sense of obligation and gratitude toward the Order of DeMolay for the,important part it played in my life. Its precepts have been invaluable,in making decisions, facing dilemmas and crises. DeMolay stands for all,that is good for the family and for our country. I feel privileged to,have enjoyed membership in DeMolay.

I sell corn, and I love corn.

The proper comedy for the screen is visual. Films try to get too many,laughs out of the dialogue. We use pantomime not wisecracks. Portrayal,of human sensations by inanimate objects such as steam shovels and,rocking-chairs never fail to provoke laughter. Human distress,exemplified by animals is sure-fire. A bird that jumps after swallowing,a grasshopper is a natural. Surprise is always provocative.

Every time they make a pornographic film, I make money.

I think the picture would have done better with a different title. Girls,and women went to it, but men tended to stay away because it sounded,sweet and sticky. - On Pollyanna (1960),As long as there is imagination left in the world, Disneyland will never,be complete.

I believe in the family unit. I believe in the family having fun,together, enjoying things together, which is what Disneyland is.

The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.

A man should never neglect his family for business.

Mickey Mouse popped out of my mind onto a drawing pad 20 years ago on a train ride from Manhattan to Hollywood at a time when business fortunes of my brother Roy and myself were at lowest ebb and disaster seemed right around the corner.

I would rather entertain and hope that people learned something than educate people and hope they were entertained.

Animation can explain whatever the mind of man can conceive. This facility makes it the most versatile and explicit means of communication yet devised for quick mass appreciation.

I have no use for people who throw their weight around as celebrities, or for those who fawn over you just because you are famous.

All cartoon characters and fables must be exaggeration, caricatures. It is the very nature of fantasy and fable.

We believed in our idea - a family park where parents and children could have fun- together.

Mickey Mouse is, to me, a symbol of independence. He was a means to an end.

We did it Disneyland, in the knowledge that most of the people I talked to thought it would be a financial disaster - closed and forgotten within the first year.

I always like to look on the optimistic side of life, but I am realistic enough to know that life is a complex matter.

Movies can and do have tremendous influence in shaping young lives in the realm of entertainment towards the ideals and objectives of normal adulthood.

You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.

The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.

The more you like yourself, the less you are like anyone else, which makes you unique.

Times and conditions change so rapidly that we must keep our aim constantly focused on the future. .