Walter Elias Disney was born in Chicago on December 5, 1901. At a young age, he developed a passion for drawing. He worked as a cartoonist for the Kansas City Star but was fired due to lack of creativity. He then moved to Hollywood and started his own animation business, but faced financial struggles and failures.
Despite setbacks, Disney persevered and eventually created the iconic character Mickey Mouse. He revolutionized animation by incorporating sound and music into his films, including the groundbreaking "Steamboat Willie." Disney's success continued with the release of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," the first full-length animated feature film.
The 1940s and 1950s saw the rise of Disney's live-action films, as well as the development of his theme park idea, which eventually became Disneyland. He also began working on a second theme park, Disney World, but unfortunately passed away in 1966 before its completion.
Today, The Walt Disney Company is the largest media and entertainment business group in the world, with a vast empire of theme parks, hotels, film studios, and television channels. Disney's legacy as a visionary genius and animation pioneer continues to inspire generations.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Walt Disney was born in Chicago on December 5, 1901.
2. At the age of 5, his family moved to a farm in Missouri.
3. Disney's passion for drawing was discovered during his time on the farm.
4. His father, Elias Disney, did not understand his son's passion for drawing.
5. In 1918, Disney left school to join the army but was rejected due to his young age.
6. He falsified his birth certificate to join the Red Cross ambulance corps.
7. Disney was sent to Europe after his training but was not in combat.
8. He began to smoke during his time in the Red Cross, a habit that would have serious repercussions in the future.
9. After returning to the USA, Disney moved to Kansas City and got a job as a cartoonist at the Kansas City Star newspaper.
10. He was fired from the newspaper due to lack of creativity.
11. Disney founded his first company, Laugh-O-Gram Studio, in 1921.
12. The company went bankrupt a few months later.
13. In 1923, Disney founded the Disney Brothers company with his brother Roy.
14. The company's first successful character was Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.
15. However, the rights to Oswald belonged to Universal Pictures, and Disney lost the character.
16. In 1928, Disney created Mickey Mouse as a replacement for Oswald.
17. Mickey Mouse became a huge success, and Disney's company began to grow.
18. In 1932, Disney created his first full-color short film, "Flowers and Trees," which won an Academy Award.
19. In 1937, Disney began working on his first full-length animated feature film, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."
20. The film was released in 1938 and became a huge success, earning an estimated $98 million.
21. Disney went on to create several more successful animated films, including "Pinocchio," "Fantasia," and "Bambi."
22. During World War II, Disney's company produced educational and training films for the US government.
23. In the 1950s, Disney began to focus on live-action films and television shows.
24. In 1955, Disney opened his first theme park, Disneyland, in Anaheim, California.
25. The park was a huge success, and Disney began to plan a second theme park on the East Coast.
26. Disney World, located in Orlando, Florida, was opened in 1971, after Disney's death.
27. Walt Disney died on December 15, 1966, at the age of 65, due to lung cancer.
28. The Walt Disney Company is now the largest media and entertainment business group in the world, with a value of over $500 billion.