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Timeline of the Walt Disney Company

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a timeline of the Walt Disney Company, listing notable milestones for the Walt Disney Company.

20th century

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1923–1950

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Year Events Notable film releases
1923
1924
1925
1926
  • Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio move into the new studio at 2719 Hyperion Avenue in the Silver Lake district of Los Angeles.[4]
1927
1928
  • The studio loses the contract of the Oswald series.
    • Several animators leave for Winkler Pictures where the series continues production.
  • Walt Disney comes up with an idea for a new character to replace Oswald: Mickey Mouse, who became Disney's first cartoon star.[5]
    • Walt wanted to call him Mortimer Mouse, but his wife suggested Mickey instead.
  • Steamboat Willie is released at New York's Colony Theater on November 18, marking the first public appearance of Mickey Mouse, as well as being the first cartoon released with synchronized sound.[4]
1929
  • The first Silly Symphony cartoon titled The Skeleton Dance is released on August 22.[4]
  • On December 16, The Walt Disney Studio is renamed to Walt Disney Productions, Ltd. Three other companies are also renamed to Walt Disney Enterprises, Disney Film Recording Company, and Liled Realty and Investment Company.
  • Mickey speaks for the first time in The Karnival Kid; his words were "Hot dog, hot dog."[6]
    • Unhappy with how Mickey sounded, Walt Disney himself would provide the voice of Mickey until 1947.[5]
1930
1931
1932
1933
1934
  • Following the success of the Mickey Mouse shorts, Walt begins producing a feature-length film. Some would dub this project as “Disney’s Folly,” as it went 400% over budget and required more than 300 animators, artists, and assistants. (The resulting 1937 film would later be heralded as groundbreaking.)[1]
  • Donald Duck makes his first appearance with the premiere of "The Wise Little Hen" on June 9.
1935
  • "The Band Concert" premieres on February 23, becoming the first Mickey Mouse cartoon in color.
1936
1937
1938
  • On September 29, Walt Disney Productions, Ltd., along with Walt Disney Enterprises, Disney Film Recording Company, and Liled Realty and Investment Company, are merged to form Walt Disney Productions.
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
  • Short on money, the company re-releases Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, generating much-needed revenue and beginning a reissue pattern for their animated films.
1945
1946
1947
  • Walt Disney lends his voice to Mickey Mouse for the last time in the "Mickey and the Beanstalk" segment of Fun and Fancy Free. Disney claims he has become too busy to continue voicing Mickey.[5]
1948
1949
1950

1951–1975

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Year Events Notable film releases
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
  • Zorro debuts on October 10.
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
  • In an October 1966 interview, Walt Disney described his vision of creating a planned community called the "City of Tomorrow;" "a showcase for American industry and research, schools, cultural and educational opportunities." Disney called this idea the "Environmental Prototype Community of Tomorrow" (EPCOT). Disney World's EPCOT would pay tribute to this idea.[5]
  • Walt Disney dies on December 15.
    • His comments on EPCOT would be among the last public statements he ever made.[5]
1967
1968
1969
1970
  • The Walt Disney Archives are established.
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975

1976–2000

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Year Events Notable film releases
1976
1977
1978
1979
  • The release of The Black Hole marks the first Disney film to be rated PG. Costing $20 million to produce, the film would also be Disney's most expensive film ever up to that point.[15]
    • The film would ultimately get lost in the wide success of Star Wars (1977) and its 1979 re-release.[2]
  • Don Bluth and 12 fellow animators left Disney to found their own studio.
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000

21st century

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2001–present

[edit]
Year Events Notable film releases
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009[4]
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Walt Disney Company is founded". HISTORY. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Walt Disney Company | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  3. ^ "About the Walt Disney Company". TheWaltDisneyCompany.com. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq br bs bt "Disney History". D23. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Walt Disney | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Nix, Elizabeth. "7 Things You May Not Know About Walt Disney". HISTORY. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  7. ^ Durso, Chris. 19 December 2011. "Food Will Win The War, Disney’s World War II Propaganda Film." Foodiggity.
  8. ^ Korkis, Jim (September 13, 2005). "Wednesdays with Wade: 25 years of "Disney on Ice"". JimHillMedia. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  9. ^ Aberdeen, J. A. (2000). "Disneyland". Hollywood Renegades. Cobblestone Entertainment. ISBN 1-890110-24-8. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  10. ^ "Disneyland opens". This Day in History. History. July 17, 1955. Archived from the original on April 25, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  11. ^ "Amusement Parks | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  12. ^ a b Leonard, Devin; Burke, Doris (January 20, 2003). "The Curse of Pooh". Fortune. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
  13. ^ Glover, Erin (March 13, 2017). "Celebrate 50 Years of Pirates of the Caribbean This Weekend at Disneyland Park". Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Archived from the original on September 27, 2018. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  14. ^ Smith, Thomas (October 1, 2010). "This Day in History: Walt Disney World Resort Officially Opens – 1971". Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Archived from the original on April 5, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  15. ^ Kit, Borys (December 1, 2009). "'Tron: Legacy' Team Mount a 'Black Hole' Remake." Reuters.
  16. ^ Lucas (2019), p. 153.
  17. ^ "Opening of Tokyo Disneyland". The Oriental Land Company. Archived from the original on December 31, 2017. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  18. ^ "Disney Co. confirms buy of Metrocolor". Variety. 1987-12-16. pp. 3, 30.
  19. ^ Stevenson, Richard W. (August 29, 1989). "Muppets Join Disney Menagerie". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 19, 2017. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Walt Disney announces $7.4 billion purchase of Pixar". HISTORY. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  21. ^ Fickley-Baker, Jennifer (April 22, 2011). "This Day In Disney History: Disney's Animal Kingdom Opened in 1998". Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Archived from the original on March 23, 2019. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  22. ^ "Pixar dumps Disney". CNN. January 30, 2004. Archived from the original on December 20, 2018. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  23. ^ Fickley-Baker, Jennifer (September 12, 2011). "Today in Disney History: Hong Kong Disneyland Opens". Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Archived from the original on September 11, 2015. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  24. ^ Taylor, Drew (September 5, 2020). "The Incredible True Story of Disney's Oswald the Lucky Rabbit". Collider. Archived from the original on November 20, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  25. ^ Barnes, Brooks (September 18, 2008). "Fuzzy Renaissance". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 21, 2018. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  26. ^ Marvel Shareholders OK Disney Acquisition, Marketwatch, December 31, 2009.
  27. ^ "Disney Completes Marvel Acquisition". Marvel. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  28. ^ Stelter, Brian; Barnes, Brooks (May 12, 2010). "Disney Sells a Franchise That Mothers Didn't Like". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 23, 2017. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  29. ^ "Movie Reviews, Trailers, Interviews, Wikis & Posters for Movies - IGN" – via www.ign.com.
  30. ^ The Deadline Team (December 21, 2012). "Disney Completes Acquisition Of Lucasfilm". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2013.
  31. ^ License! Global (October 14, 2013). "Kids II Purchases Baby Einstein". License! Global.
  32. ^ Evangelista, Chris (November 21, 2017). "John Lasseter Taking Leave of Absence From Disney/Pixar After Sexual Harassment Allegations". /Film. Archived from the original on December 4, 2018. Retrieved May 31, 2019.

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Lucas, Christopher (2019). Top Disney: 100 Top Ten Lists of the Best of Disney, from the Man to the Mouse and Beyond (1st ed.). Lyons Press. ISBN 978-1493037711.