Happy birthday Mickey Mouse! This beloved rodent was created in on November 18, 1928. His first starring role was in the cartoon “Steamboat Willie”. There’s a lot to know about Mickey Mouse that goes far beyond what can be found at The Magic Kingdom.
History
After Walt Disney lost the rights to his character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, he invented the character Mickey Mouse. Mickey rose to stardom with Steamboat Willie, partly because it was the first cartoon that ever had sound. Walt was originally going to name Mickey, “Mortimer Mouse”. It was his wife Lillian that suggested that Mortimer just didn’t sound like a fun name for a cartoon character. Mickey starred in another film in 1929 called “Opry House”. In this film he wore white gloves for the first time. The first time Mickey appeared in color was in the cartoon “The Band Concert” in 1935. The first film that Mickey appeared in was the movie“Fantasia” as the Sorcerer’s Apprentice in 1940. This ended up being one of his most famous roles ever. Mickey got his own show in 1955 called, “The Mickey Mouse Club”.
Special Achievements
-In 1932 Walt Disney received an honorary Academy Award for his creation of Mickey Mouse.
-In 1934 Mickey was given his very own entry into the Encyclopedia Britannica.
– On November 18, 1978, Mickey became the first cartoon character to receive a Hollywood Walk of Fame. This coincided with his 50th birthday.
Other Interesting Facts
– One of the most well-known products produced that featured Mickey Mouse was a wrist watch. The first one was sold in 1933 and by 1957, 25 million had been sold.
– On screen Mickey and Minnie Mouse were never married, but Walt stated that Mickey was actually married to Minnie Mouse, but on screen she only has ever played the role of his leading lady and not his wife.
– In Disney theme parks, designers hide Mickey silhouettes throughout the park. This tradition is fondly known as the “Hidden Mickeys”.
-In 1932 a special Academy Award was given to Walt Disney for the creation of Mickey Mouse.
– Some of Mickey’s favorite sayings include “Aw, gee”, “Gosh!” and “Oh boy!”.
-In the video game “Epic Mickey”, viewers get to experience a more mischievous mouse.
Currently there are 11 Disney theme parks at five different worldwide locations. In addition to these there’s also Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney and the Disney Vacation club. If you are interested in seeing Mickey, you can surely get a glimpse or two of the mouse at one of the Disney theme parks or on a Disney Cruise. Millions of people get to experience Mickey Mouse in some way each year, will you be one of them?
