Walt Disney was an American animator, entrepreneur and film producer who pioneered the American animation industry and created many beloved characters like Mickey Mouse. As a child, Walt was interested in art and pursued cartooning after dropping out of high school. He founded Walt Disney Studios and created Mickey Mouse, who became a global sensation. Walt went on to open Disneyland in 1955 and began planning Disney World before his death from lung cancer in 1966 at age 65. He left a lasting legacy as a cultural icon.

1. Walt Disney
By: Morgan Miller

2. The Amazing Walt Disney
The amazing Walter Elias "Walt" Disney was an American entrepreneur,
animator, voice actor, and film producer. He was a pioneer in the American
animation industry, became famous around the world, and is regarded as a
national cultural icon. He is the one who is responsible for Mickey, Minnie, and
many more loveable Disney characters.

3. Walt as a Child
The child version of Walt was born on December 5, 1901 in Chicago Illinois, to his father
Elias Disney, and mother Flora Call Disney. Walt was one of five children, four boys and a
girl. After Walt’s birth, the Disney family moved to Marceline Missouri, Walt lived most of
his childhood here. Walt had very early interests in art, he would often sell drawings to
neighbors to make extra money. He pursued his art career, by studying art and
photography by going to McKinley High School in Chicago. When Disney was 16, he
dropped out of school to join the Army but was rejected for being underage. Instead, he
joined the Red Cross and was sent to France for a year to drive an ambulance.
Walt as a child

4. Walt’s Early Drawings
When Walt returned from France in 1919, he moved back to Kansas City to pursue a
career as a newspaper artist. His brother Roy got him a job at the Pesmen-Rubin Art
Studio, where he met cartoonist Ubbe Eert Iwerks, better known as Ub Iwerks. From
there, Walt worked at the Kansas City Film Ad Company, where he made commercials
based on cutout animation. Around this time, Walt began experimenting with a camera,
doing hand-drawn cel animation, and decided to open his own animation business.
From the ad company, he recruited Fred Harman as his first employee. Walt and his
brother invented a character called Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, and contracted the
shorts at $1,500 each.

5. The Start of Mickey Mouse
Right away the Disney brothers, their wives and Iwerks produced three
cartoons featuring a new character Walt had been developing called Mickey
Mouse. The first animated shorts featuring Mickey were Plane Crazy and The
Gallopin' Gaucho, both silent films for which they failed to find distribution.
Once films stated having sound, Walt created a third, sound and music
equipped short called Steamboat Willie. With Walt as the voice of Mickey, the
cartoon was an instant sensation.

6. Disneyland
Walt Disney’s Disneyland theme park opened on July 17, 1955 in Anaheim, California
and cost $17 million dollars. On the first day, there were ride mishaps. In a very short
time, the park had increased its investment tenfold, and was entertaining tourists from
around the world.

7. Disney World
Disney World is the other Disney park in America. It opened on October 1, 1971. Just
Cinderella’s castle cost 4.7 million 1970’s dollars. Today, it has 52 million visitors annually.

8. The death
Within a few years of the opening, Walt began plans for a new theme park and Experimental Prototype Community of
Tomorrow in Florida. It was still under construction when, in 1966, Disney was diagnosed with lung cancer. He died on
December 15, 1966, at the age of 65. Disney was cremated, and his ashes interred at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los
Angeles, California. After Walt’s death, his brother, Roy, carried on the plans to finish the Florida theme park, which
opened in 1971 under the name Walt Disney World (Disney;s World)

9. Memorial
Today, we remember the amazing Walt Disney with a statue of him and his
first creation, Mickey Mouse.

10. Walt’s creation (characters)
Mickey
Mouse
Minnie
Mouse
Goofy Pluto Donald
Duck