View source for Walt Disney

== Early Life ==
Walt Disney was born on December 5, 1901 in [[Chicago]], Illinois. His parents were Elias Disney, an Irish-Canadian, and Flora (née Call), a German-American. Disney was one of five children, four boys and a girl. He lived most of his childhood in Marceline, Missouri, where he began drawing, painting and selling pictures to neighbors and family friends.

[[Image:Detail-59788.jpg|thumb|center|A small town street scene, showing a main street with small shops and trees.|class=only_on_mobile]]
[[Image:Detail-59789.jpg|thumb|center|A small town street scene, showing a main street with small shops and trees.|class=only_on_desktop]]

== Career Beginnings ==
Disney moved to Kansas City in 1919 where he began his artistic career. He decided to become a newspaper artist, drawing political caricatures or comic strips. However, his journey into animated cartoons began when he landed a job at the Pesmen-Rubin Art Studio, where he met [[Ub Iwerks]], a cartoonist who would become a long-time work partner of Disney.

== Creation of Mickey Mouse ==
In 1928, Disney created his first successful cartoon character, [[Mickey Mouse]]. Mickey Mouse first appeared in "Steamboat Willie", which was the first cartoon to synchronize sound and animation. This innovation revolutionized the industry and laid the groundwork for future Disney successes.

[[Image:Detail-59790.jpg|thumb|center|A black and white cartoon image of a steamboat on a river.|class=only_on_mobile]]
[[Image:Detail-59791.jpg|thumb|center|A black and white cartoon image of a steamboat on a river.|class=only_on_desktop]]

== Founding of The Walt Disney Company ==
In 1929, Disney and his brother Roy founded [[The Walt Disney Company]], which became one of the best-known motion picture production companies in the world. Disney continued to add to his enterprise by creating a variety of new characters and even branching into television in the 1950s with shows like "The Mickey Mouse Club".

== Disneyland ==
Disney's dream of a place where adults and children could have fun together came true in 1955 with the opening of [[Disneyland]], a theme park in Anaheim, California. Disneyland became a place where people could meet Disney characters in person, ride on attractions based on Disney films, and explore lands of fantasy and adventure.

[[Image:Detail-59792.jpg|thumb|center|An amusement park with various attractions and a large castle in the center.|class=only_on_mobile]]
[[Image:Detail-59793.jpg|thumb|center|An amusement park with various attractions and a large castle in the center.|class=only_on_desktop]]

== Legacy ==
Disney's impact on animation and the entertainment industry is immeasurable. His innovations in animation, his contributions to television, and his theme parks have created a lasting legacy. Disney passed away on December 15, 1966, but his company continues to produce animated films and expand its theme parks, making Disney a household name around the world.

== See Also ==
* [[Ub Iwerks]]
* [[The Walt Disney Company]]
* [[Disneyland]]

[[Category:Animators]]
[[Category:Film producers]]
[[Category:Theme park creators]]