Walt Disney was born in 1901 in Chicago, Illinois and grew up loving to draw animals and nature. He studied art in high school and later created many famous cartoon characters like Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Pluto at his animation studio. Despite facing challenges with animation early on, Walt Disney went on to win 32 Academy Awards and is considered a hero for inspiring others with his quote "If you can dream it, you can do it." He passed away in 1966 in California at the age of 65.