Walt Disney was born on December 5, 1901 in Chicago During the fall of 1918, Walt Disney attempted to enlist for military service but he got rejected. He started a small company called Laugh-O-Grams, which eventually fell bankrupt. With his suitcase, and $20 Walt headed to Hollywood to start anew. After making a success of his "Alice Comedies," Walt became a recognized Hollywood figure Disney took a deep interest in the establishment of California Institute of the Arts, a college-level professional school of all the creative and performing arts. Walt Disney passed away on December 15, 1966.