Walter Elias “Walt” Disney American entrepreneur, animator and film producer, was born in Chicago on Dec. 5, 1901, the fourth son of Irish/Canadian carpenter, farmer and building contractor Elias Disney and German/American public school teacher Flora Call Disney.
Walter Elias “Walt” Disney American entrepreneur, animator and film producer, was born in Chicago on Dec. 5, 1901, the fourth son of Irish/Canadian carpenter, farmer and building contractor Elias Disney and German/American public school teacher Flora Call Disney.
While Walt was just an infant, his family of dad, mom, three brothers and a sister moved to a farm in Marceline, Mo. There, Walt started school and discovered his love of drawing and, at the age of seven, sold his first drawings to neighbors.
When he was ten, his family moved to Kansas City, where he developed a love for trains. A short time later, the family moved back to Chicago, where he attended McKinley High School. Later, he dropped out of school to join the Army but was rejected because he was too young; so, he joined the Red Cross and was sent to France for a year to drive an ambulance before returning to the United States in 1919.
In August 1923, Walt was off to Hollywood; his brother Roy was already there and things started happening through the years. He and Roy co-founded one of the best-known motion picture production companies in the world, Walt Disney Productions. Walt met and married Lilian and they had two daughters. He launched Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. in 1955; Disney World near Orlando, Fla. opened in 1971, with the Epcot Center opening in 1982.
Walt is best known for creating the character, Mickey Mouse. On Nov. 18, 2023, his Mickey and Millie Mouse characters turned 95. Walt has won 22 Academy Awards during his lifetime.
In 1961, he took part in the beginning of the California Institute of the Arts, believing as he said “It’s the principal thing I hope to leave when I move on to greener pastures. If I can help provide a place to develop the talent of the future, I think I will have accomplished something.”
Walt Disney died Dec. 15, 1966, in Burbank, Calif.
December themes from the library calendar include Stress-Free Family Holidays Month, Read a New Book Month, Safe Toys and Gifts Month, Universal Human Rights Month and Worldwide Food Service Safety Month.
