Walt Disney
Co-founder of The Walt Disney Company
Quick Facts
- Born
- 1901, Chicago, Illinois
- Company
- The Walt Disney Company
- The Walt Disney Company founded
- 1923
- Industry
- Entertainment
- Known for
- Co-founding The Walt Disney Company
- Famous character
- Mickey Mouse (1928)
- First feature film
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
- Opened Disneyland
- 1955, in California
Early Life
Walt Disney was born in 1901 in Chicago, and he spent part of his childhood on a farm in Marceline, Missouri. The farm gave him animals to watch and fields to wander, and somewhere in all that he picked up a habit that never left him. He loved to draw.
He drew on whatever he could find, and as he grew up that hobby turned into a plan. He wanted to make pictures move. Animation was brand new back then, and figuring it out meant a lot of trial and error and a lot of pencils.
Mickey Mouse
In 1923, Walt and his older brother Roy started a small cartoon studio together. Roy handled the money and the business side while Walt handled the ideas and the drawing, and the two of them ran the company as a team for the rest of Walt's life.
Walt worked closely with a gifted animator named Ub Iwerks, and together they came up with a cheerful mouse named Mickey. Mickey first appeared in a short cartoon called "Steamboat Willie" in 1928. What made it special was the sound. It was one of the first cartoons where the music and the action matched up perfectly, so the mouse seemed to whistle and dance right in time with the tune.
Snow White and Disneyland
By the 1930s, cartoons were short and silly, and Walt wanted to try something nobody in America had done. A full-length animated movie with a real story. People in Hollywood thought he was making a mistake, and some called the project "Disney's Folly." He kept going anyway.
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" came out in 1937 and became the first feature-length animated film made in the United States. Audiences loved it, and it proved cartoons could tell big stories. Over his life Walt won more Academy Awards than anyone else, a record he still holds.
In 1955 he opened Disneyland in California, a park built so families could step inside the worlds from his movies. It was unlike any amusement park before it. Walt died in 1966, but the company he and Roy started grew into one of the biggest entertainment companies on the planet.
What Walt Teaches Us
Walt failed plenty of times before any of this worked. An early company of his went broke, and he lost the rights to a character he'd created before Mickey. He started over each time and kept betting on ideas other people thought were silly.
He paired big dreams with the patience to build them, and he leaned on his brother Roy to keep it all running. A boy who loved drawing on a Missouri farm ended up changing how the whole world tells stories.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who founded Disney?
Disney was founded by Walt Disney and his older brother Roy Disney in 1923. Walt led the creative and animation side, while Roy ran the business and finances. The two brothers worked together for the rest of Walt's life.
Who created Mickey Mouse?
Mickey Mouse was created by Walt Disney together with animator Ub Iwerks in 1928. Walt came up with the character and gave him his personality, and Iwerks did much of the early drawing. Mickey first appeared in the cartoon "Steamboat Willie."
What was the first Disney movie?
The first full-length Disney movie was "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," released in 1937. It was the first feature-length animated film made in the United States. Many people in Hollywood doubted it would work, but audiences loved it.
When was Disney founded?
Disney was founded in 1923, when Walt and Roy Disney started their cartoon studio. The company grew over the decades into one of the largest entertainment companies in the world.
How did Walt Disney start?
Walt Disney grew up loving to draw, partly on a farm in Marceline, Missouri. As a young man he learned animation through trial and error, and in 1923 he started a cartoon studio with his brother Roy. His big break came with Mickey Mouse in 1928.
What was Walt Disney's first cartoon?
Walt Disney's most famous early cartoon was "Steamboat Willie," released in 1928. It introduced Mickey Mouse and was one of the first cartoons with synchronized sound, where the music matched the action on screen. It made Walt and his studio famous.
When did Disneyland open?
Disneyland opened in California in 1955. Walt built it so families could walk inside the worlds from his movies. It was unlike any amusement park that had come before it.
Where was Walt Disney born?
Walt Disney was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1901. He spent part of his childhood on a farm in Marceline, Missouri, where his love of drawing animals began.
How did Walt Disney die?
Walt Disney died in 1966 at the age of 65. By then he had won more Academy Awards than anyone else and had built a company that kept growing for decades after him.
What did Walt Disney invent?
Walt Disney didn't invent animation itself, but he pushed it further than anyone before him. He helped make one of the first cartoons with synchronized sound, produced the first American feature-length animated film, and created the modern theme park with Disneyland.
More Founders to Explore
Inspire Your Children with Stories That Matter
Help your children learn valuable lessons from the journeys of successful founders like Walt Disney.