We Remember Walt Disney, An Iconic Talent
Today marks the 55th anniversary of Walt Disney’s death. As we remember his memory and legacy, let’s take a moment to look back at the man who started the magic.
Walt Disney’s Early Life
We recently celebrated Walt Disney’s 120th birthday on December 5, 2021. Walt Disney’s parents were Elias and Flora Disney, and he had three brothers: Herbert, Raymond, and Roy.
Of course, Walt loved drawing. And so, he copied newspapers’ cartoons as a child. Later, Walt became the cartoonist of McKinley High School’s newspaper, and he drew patriotic pictures of World War I.
In the 1920s, Disney began experimenting with animation and filmmaking at home; therefore, this eventually led to Laugh-O-Grams. The first six Laugh-O-Grams were modernized fairy tales.
Walt and Roy Disney formed the Disney Brothers Studio in 1923, which later transformed to The Walt Disney Company. Also, Walt hired an ink artist, Lillian Bounds, in 1925; the two married in July 1925.
The Man Behind the Mouse
Mickey Mouse came on the scene in 1928 as he replaced Oswald the Rabbit. Although Mickey’s origins are not verified, some believe a pet mouse Walt adopted at his Laugh-O-Gram studio inspired the character.
Of course, Walt Disney originally voiced Mickey Mouse. One Disney employee said, “Ub designed Mickey’s physical appearance, but Walt gave him his soul.”
Beyond Animation
Walt also desired to build a theme park. He wanted it to be a clean place where children and parents could have fun together.
And so, he created (what is now known as) Walt Disney Imagineering, and he personally funded this group of designers and animators to work on the project. Now, this group is called Imagineers.
Disneyland
Disneyland construction began in July 1954, and it opened in July 1955. Disneyland’s opening ceremony aired on ABC, and it featured Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, and the infamous Main Street, U.S.A.
As we remember, Walt Disney presented four exhibits at the 1964 New York World’s Fair: it’s a small world, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, Carousel of Progress, and Ford’s Magic Skyway. Hence, elements, concepts, and technology from these exhibits were re-installed at Disneyland.
Walt Disney World
In 1965, Walt announced development plans for Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Walt Disney World would have the Magic Kingdom, golf courses, resort hotels, and EPCOT.
However, Walt’s specific plans for EPCOT did not come to fruition. His brother, Roy Disney, took EPCOT’s focus in a different direction after Walt’s death.
Gone Too Soon
Sadly, doctors diagnosed Walt Disney with lung cancer in November 1966. On November 30, an ambulance took him to St. Joseph Hospital due to feeling unwell.
Walt Disney passed away on December 15, 1966, only ten days after his 65th birthday. Now, he rests at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.
Roy Disney dedicated Walt Disney World to Walt Disney in 1971. Also in 2009, Diane Disney (Walt’s daughter) opened the Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presidio of San Francisco.
On this day 55 years ago, the world mourned the passing of Walt Disney. pic.twitter.com/wyh08damZv
— The Walt Disney Family Museum (@WDFMuseum) December 15, 2021
We Remember, Always
No question, Walt Disney is an iconic, central figure in animation’s history. As we remember Walt Disney today, may we recognize his continued impact in our culture!
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