1956:
The Disneyland television series
"A Day in the Life of Donald Duck," featuring Walt Disney, the Mouseketeers and Clarence Nash (the voice of Donald).
Better Homes & Gardens runs an article about the new Disneyland park titled "Land That Does Away With Time."
At Disneyland the Mule Pack Ride and Stage Coach in Frontierland (both opening day attractions) close.
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2005:
"This actress who is the voice of Kim Possible ... played Belle in Beauty and the Beast" is the answer given on today's airing of the TV game show Jeopardy.
A contestant correctly answers "Who is Christy Carlson Romano?"
The direct-to-video animated film Mulan II premieres. Preparing for their wedding, Shang and Mulan are suddenly sent off on a secret mission.
1925:
Disney's Alice Comedy Alice Gets Stung is released. The last time actress Virginia Davis will portray Alice, Julius goes rabbit hunting while Alice goes bear hunting.
1926:
The Alice Comedy Alice's Little Parade, starring Margie Gay, is released.
Julius the cat leads an all-out war against the mice - only to wind up defeating the rodents single handedly.
1954:
Actor/musician Bill Mumy is born Charles William Mumy, Jr. in San Gabriel, California. He appeared in episodes of the Disneyland TV series and in Disney's 1969 movie Rascal (as Sterling North). Mumy wrote music for Disney's Adventures in Wonderland and even did voice-over work for the animated Buzz Lightyear: Star Command. Between 1961-1963 Mummy appeared on 3 different episodes of The Twilight Zone. (TV fans know him best for his role as young Will Robinson on the classic 1960s series Lost in Space, which co-starred Guy Williams - previously known as Disney's Zorro.)
1966:
Hollywood fixture & gossip columnist Hedda Hopper passes away. In 1938 Hopper began writing a newspaper column, "Hedda Hopper's Hollywood," for the Los Angeles Times. A year later she spun the column off into a 15-minute radio program. A Disney fan, she had a framed vintage Mickey Mouse print that was signed "To Hedda From Walt," hanging in her office. In 1952 Walt actually wrote Hedda a humorous letter inviting her to stop by for a ride on his Carolwood Pacific Railroad! Walt even appeared on her January 1960 TV special, Hedda Hopper's Hollywood. (One of the many Hollywood characters who stroll about the Disney-MGM Studios/Disney's Hollywood Studios interacting with guests, is very reminiscent of Miss Hopper!)
1967:
Teenage/adult romantic comedy author Meg Cabot is born Meggin Cabot in Bloomington, Indiana. Her "The Princess Diaries" series of novels were the inspiration for two Disney feature films of the same name.
1984:
Actor Lee Thompson Young, star of Disney Channel's The Famous Jett Jackson (a series which ran between 1998-2001), is born in Columbia, South Carolina.
In 1999, Lee starred in Johnny Tsunami, a Disney Channel Original Movie, as Sam Sterling.
1987:
Television's The Wonderful World of Disney airs the
episode "You Ruined My Life."
1989:
to help cope with the heavy load of movies that Touchstone Pictures
is dealing with. Arachnophobia will be Hollywood Pictures' first release - in 1990. Although then-Disney chief Michael Eisner at first intended Hollywood Pictures to be a full-fledged studio, like Touchstone, its operations were later scaled back and its management merged with the flagship Walt Disney Pictures studio. Its most profitable film to date is The Sixth Sense, which grossed over $200 million at the North American box office.
1991:
Drummer, sound effects genius, and the second voice of Mickey Mouse, James
Macdonald passes away at age 84 in Glendale, California. Born in 1906, he was the original
head of Disney's sound effects department and began voicing Mickey in 1947. For over 50 years Macdonald created
sound effects that have become an integral part of Disney films and theme parks. Recently, Macdonald had been
scheduled to contribute sounds to the Splash Mountain attraction at Disney parks in Tokyo and Florida.
Disney's Hollywood Pictures releases the thriller Run starring Patrick Dempsey and Kelly Preston. It is Hollywood Pictures' third feature.
1996:
A 2-day Dapper Dans reunion begins at Disneyland.
1998:
The "25" is removed from Epcot's IllumiNations 25 (as Disney World's 25th anniversary celebration has ended) the same day IllUminations 98 debuts.
1999:
A month-long salute to African-Americans in history begins in Disney World. History, culture, music and dance take center stage at the 4 theme parks and the Downtown Disney entertainment complex.
2001:
It is reported that Disney executives are giving serious thought to letting LEGO (the Danish toy manufacturer) build its next stateside park on Disney World soil. (LEGOLAND California, the first park created in the U.S. by LEGO, includes rides, hands-on building challenges, interactive attractions, wild coasters, and shopping opportunities.)
2003:
The 30th Annual Annie Awards take place at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, California. Animator Doug Sweetland picks up an Annie for his work in Disney's Monsters, Inc. Daveigh Chase wins an award for the voice of Lilo in Disney's Lilo & Stich. Veteran voice actor Corey Burton wins for the voice of Ludwig Von Drake in Disney's House of Mouse. The Windsor McCay award (given to individuals for a lifetime of achievement in animation) is presented to Gene Hazelton, Floyd Norman and the Sherman brothers.
Disney World's Diamond Horseshoe Revue closes their saloon doors for
good with a final performance. As one of the Magic Kingdom's original shows from 1971, the 1-hour show was performed up to 10 times a day! It will be replaced with Goofy's Country Dancin' Jamboree.
2004:
Immediately following the New England Patriots' 32-29 Super Bowl
win over the Carolina Panthers, quarterback Tom Brady is captured on video
exclaiming: "I'm going to Disney World!" (The 34th episode of the long-running TV ad will
air all over the country the following morning.)
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1908:
Baggy-trousered, banjo-strumming comedian Gene Sheldon
(a specialist in pantomime acting) is born Eugene Hume in
Columbus, Ohio. He was cast by Disney as the mute sidekick/servant Bernardo
(pictured right) on the 1957 hit television series Zorro. This led to roles in such Disney
features as Toby Tyler, or Ten Weeks With the Circus (in which he played Sam Treat, a
clown and animal trainer) and Babes in Toyland (as silent Roderigo).
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FEB
1957:
The article "Clean Sweep For Disneyland" appears in the publication American
City. The article tells of the 64-member crew whose 24-hour job is to keep Disneyland clean.
Disney Legend James Macdonald
(the 2nd voiceof Mickey Mouse) is
the silhouetted tympani player in
the Disney film Fantasia. Originally a drummer, he was the creator of
hundreds of one-of-a-kind gadgets
and props used to make sound fx.
FEBRUARY 1
2008:
Directors at the Walt Disney Company sign the chief executive, Robert A. Iger, to a new five-year contract. The agreement, which extends through Jan. 31, 2013, shows their confidence in Iger's ability to navigate a turbulent economy and sweeping changes in the media business.
Disney Channel premieres the 3rd Phineas and Ferb episode "Flop Starz."
The animated series (which had two sneak previews in 2007) centers on Phineas Flynn and his English stepbrother Ferb Fletche who each day embark on a grand project, much to the annoyance of their controlling sister, Candace. The voice cast includes Vincent Martella (as Phineas), Thomas Brodie-Sangster (as Ferb) and Ashley Tisdale (as Candace).
1942:
Writer, actor, director and comedian Terry Jones is born in Colwyn Bay, Wales, UK. A
member of Monty Python's Flying Circus, Jones portrayed Mr. Toad in the 1996 live-action The Wind in the Willows
(later titled Mr. Toad's Wild Ride).
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30th Annual
Annie
Awards
take place
advertisement
FEBRUARY 01
THIS
SITE MADE
IN THE USA
2009:
Santonio Holmes and Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers film their "I’m going to Disney World" commercial on the field following Pittsburgh’s 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals at Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, Florida.
(This latest commercial is the milestone 40th of a series that began in 1987 following Super Bowl XXI.)
Rocker Bruce Springsteen even gets in on the act when he shouts "I'm Going to Disneyland!" following his
halftime performance!
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SEASON 2 EPISODE 18
"In Hollywood gratitude is Public Enemy Number One." -Hedda Hopper (1885-1966)
Today is Freedom Day
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1973:
Disney's live-action comedy film The World's Greatest Athlete, starring Tim
Conway, Jan-Michael Vincent, and John Amos, is released in theaters. A down on his
luck coach travels to Africa where he spots the world's greatest athlete and brings him back to the U.S. to
compete. Much of the film was shot on the campus of the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California.
It will be the 10th-top grossing film released in 1973, just ahead of American Graffiti.
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1977:
Boxing and baseball are today's special feature on episode 12 of The New Mickey Mouse Club. The Mouseketeers visit Johnny Flores' training camp for Golden Glove boxing and then travel to a Little League baseball game to watch Katie Thorpe (one of the first girls to break into the all-boy sport) play ball.
2011:
Walt Disney’s 1951 classic Alice in Wonderland is released to hi-def Blu-ray
as a new 2-disc 60th Anniversary Edition.
The Visual Effects Society announces the winners of the 9th Annual VES Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.
Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Short is given to Pixar's Day & Night.
The spring issue of Disney twenty-three magazine hits stands.
The cover story gives readers a stem-to-stern tour of Disney Cruise Line’s
newest ship, Disney Dream, a mighty 4,000 passenger vessel equipped with
cutting-edge technology.
Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 is released direct-to-DVD.
In Memory of Jimmy Macdonald
(1906-1991)
FEBRUARY IS RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERS MONTH
FEB
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1994:
The U.S. Department of Defense leases the Disney Inn hotel at Walt Disney World and renames it Shades of Green. WDW will sell the property outright to the U.S. Military in 2004.
