- Animation has existed for thousands of years, dating back to cave paintings from 40,000 BC and shadow puppetry in China from 7000 BC.
- In the late 19th/early 20th century, new animation techniques emerged like phenakistoscope, zoetrope, flipbooks, and praxinoscope which helped establish animation as a form of entertainment.
- Major milestones included Winsor McCay's 1914 animated film Gertie the Dinosaur, the addition of sound and color in the 1920s, and Walt Disney's creation of Mickey Mouse in 1928 which helped establish the Disney franchise.