The man behind the mouse, the talking duck named Donald and that other goofy looking character (who became known as Goofy) was Walt Disney. He created one of the largest amusement parks in the world and brought many of our favorite fairy tales to life.
The Man Behind The Mouse
Walt Disney was born on December 5, 1901 in Chicago, Illinois. He always loved to draw and was selling his artwork by the time he was seven years old. He also took great interest in photography. As a teenager, he went to high school by day and the Academy of Fine Arts at night. When World War I broke out, Walt Disney tried to join the army but he was too young. So, he lied to the Red Cross about his age and they sent him overseas where he drove an ambulance, which he had covered in cartoon characters.
The Beginning Of A Legacy
After the war, Walt Disney headed to Hollywood with his drawing materials and $40. He opened a business with his brother making animated films and quickly became recognized in Hollywood. In 1928, Mickey Mouse was created and made an appearance in the world's first cartoon with sound. On December 21, 1937, the first full-length animated musical feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, premiered in Los Angeles. It made over one million dollars, which was a lot of money back then. During the next five years, Walt Disney produced a bunch of other full-length, animated classics like Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo and Bambi.
Click here to find out how Walt Disney turned his cartoon characters into an amusment park the whole world could enjoy.
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