2005:
The world premiere of Walt Disney Pictures/Walden Media's The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe takes place at Royal Albert Hall in London, England.
1910:
Trumpeter, bandleader, singer, composer, and actor Louis Prima, known for his memorable contribution to Disney's The Jungle Book as the voice (and live-action reference) for King Louie, is born in
New Orleans, Louisiana. He performed the hit song "I Wanna Be Like You" on the soundtrack, which led to the recording of two albums with Phil Harris (the voice of Baloo): The Jungle Book and More Jungle Book, on Disneyland Records. Prima rode the musical trends of his time, starting with a New Orleans style jazz band in the 1920s, a successful Swing combo in the 1930s, a Big Band in the 1940s, a hot Vegas act with his wife Keely Smith in the 1950s, and a pop-Rock go-go band in the 1960s! In 1959, he and Smith won the Grammy Award for Best Performance by a Vocal Group or Chorus for "That Old Black Magic". Referred to as the King of the Swingers, Prima also composed the famous jazz anthem "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)".
1929:
Publisher and Disney Legend Gaudenzio Capelli is born in Milan, Italy. During his 33-year career he helped make Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters wildly popular through his Topolino magazine.
1935:
Animator John Lounsbery (who has been working at the Disney Studio for a little
over 5 months) weds Florence Hurd at the Forest Lawn Chapel in California.
1955:
Mickey Mouse Club airs on ABC-TV. Today is Anything Can Happen Day.
ABC-TV's Disneyland series debuts "The Goofy Success Story"
(a compilation of cartoon shorts) featuring Pinto Colvig, the voice of Goofy.
1961:
At Disneyland, the Babes in Toyland Exhibit on Main Street opens.
1964:
Compass East Corporation is incorporated in Delaware. It will be responsible for buying up the Florida land that will eventually become Walt Disney World.
The name Compass East Corporation appears (as does other dummy companies) on Donn Tatum's Main Street window in WDW's Magic Kingdom.
1986:
The Disney Channel begins to broadcast 24 hours a day.
(It had previously been airing only 18 hours a day.)
The Wonderful World of Disney airs "Swiss Family Robinson."
1997:
The first (of what will be 4) official "Toad Ins" take place at Walt Disney World's Fantasyland. Toad fans peacefully converge on the Magic Kingdom wearing matching green Save
Toad t-shirts to show their support for the Mr. Toads' Wild Ride attraction (which is scheduled to close).
The Wonderful World of Disney airs "Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book"
on ABC-TV.
Disney Channel debuts a new episode of Muppets Tonight. Titled "The Cameo Show," the Muppets search frantically for a host after Bobo the Bear accidentally kills Arsenio Hall, the original guest star! Jay Leno, Kevin Eubanks, Little Richard, Christopher Darden, and Kathy Ireland make cameos.
1999:
Cynthia Harriss is named president of the Disneyland Resort. She has held a variety of
senior positions with Disney, including senior vice president of park operations at Disneyland, and senior vice
president of stores for the Disney Store chain.
Disney's direct-to-video (cassette) Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas is released, as
is Inspector Gadget, The Jungle Book, and The Little Mermaid.
2001:
The Lizzie McGuire episode "The Courtship of Miranda Sanchez" debuts on
Disney Channel as does the Disney Channel Original Movie 'Twas the Night.
"Twas the Night tells the story of a mischievous 14-year-old boy and his irresponsible uncle who nearly
ruin Christmas when they decide to take Santa's new high-tech sleigh for a joyride!
2004:
Disney releases 7 DVDs on this day. They include Mickey Mouse in Black& White Volume 2, The Complete Pluto: Volume 1, The Mickey Mouse Club: Week One, "Gargoyles" Season 1, The Lion King Movie Collection, Kim Possible: The Villain Files, and That's So Raven: Supernaturally Stylish (Volume 1).
2006:
Roy E. Disney attends the release party of a new Disney DVD -
True-Life Adventures Vol 1 - at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. It is the first release of
the new Walt Disney's Legacy Collection. (True-Life Adventures was a series of 13 groundbreaking film shorts
and short features released between 1948 - 1960.)
MouseFest 2006 - an unofficial, international annual convention bringing together the people behind independent Disney books, newsletters and Web pages - invades Disney World.
The current owners of the house Elias Disney built for his family in Chicago, put
the home up for auction on eBay. The four-bedroom frame house at 2156 N. Tripp Avenue was
constructed in 1893. This is the house Walt Disney was born and lived in for the first 4 years of his life. The
auction is to last 30 days with a starting bid of $280,000.
The 49th Grammy Nominees are announced.
Among The Walt Disney Company's 15 nominations are:
Baby Einstein Meet The Orchestra (Walt Disney Records) for Best Musical Album for Children
I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This! by Bob Newhart (Hyperion Audiobooks)for Best Spoken Word Album
Cars (Walt Disney Record/Pixar) for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album
The Chronicles Of Narnia -The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe & Pirates Of The Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest (both Walt Disney Records) for Best Score Soundtrack Album
(Grammy Sunday will take place February 11, 2007)
1941:
Sunday - Walt Disney hears the news over the radio of the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. He receives a phone call from his studio manager telling him that army troops are moving onto their Burbank lot! The troops are going to provide an anti-aircraft installation to protect the nearby Lockheed factory (which manufacture airplanes for the U.S. armed forces).
Walt Disney was first fascinated by
television back in the mid-1930s
when he visited Camden, New
Jersey to see a demonstration of
the new medium by RCA head David
Sarnoff. Following World War II, the
Disney Studio even applied to the
FCC for a television station license -
Walt envisioned a television
broadcasting center at his studio!
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1989:
The Little Mermaid, the twenty-eighth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon, is released in Argentina.
2007:
Disney Channel premieres the Hannah Montana episode "I Will Always Loathe You," featuring country superstar Dolly Parton and veteran comic actress Vicki Lawrence - as Miley's grandmothers!
1998:
The cover of TIME features "100 Builders & Titans" with photos of Henry Ford, Walt Disney, Akio Morita, and Bill Gates against a background of construction workers.
DECEMBER 7
advertisement
Today is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
THIS DAY MADE
IN THE
USA
DECEMBER 7
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1945:
Disney's Pluto cartoon Canine Patrol, directed by Charles Nichols, is released.
Pluto (a member of the Coast Guard) tries to keep a baby turtle from off-limits beach territory.
DEC
SEASON 2 EPISODE 12
A BLAST FROM THE PAST:
2009:
Swindon in Wiltshire, England is announced as the world’s first ever Walt Disney World "twin town," thanks to 20-year-old Rebecca Warren. More than 500 people from across the UK nominated their home towns to compete for the official status and a celebratory, magical, Disney twinning party. Warren's entry - a video slideshow with original poem - beat the 24 other shortlisted entries! Swindon’s ‘twinning ceremony’ is set to take place in January 2010 ... bringing a touch of Disney magic from the famous Florida theme parks to Wiltshire.
2010:
Wonders of the Younger, the sixth album by the band Plain White T's, is released on
Hollywood Records (a record label owned by The Walt Disney Company).
Operation: Secret Santa, a computer animated short film sequel to 2009's Christmas
special Prep & Landing, produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, airs on ABC.
The voice cast includes veteran comedic actress Betty White as Mrs. Claus.
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2011:
It is reported that the Disney Institute is helping to train NFL "teammates" or Super Bowl workers/volunteers in the customer-friendly ways of Cast Members at Disney theme parks. The goal is to make all fans at Super Bowl XLVI "feel like VIPs." The league's working with Walt Disney Co.'s Disney Institute on a "Fans First" initiative to train the 20,000 executives and employees who will work Super Bowl XLVI on February 5, 2012 in Indianapolis.
