2005:
Seventy-five six-foot tall Mickey Mouse statues begin their visit at Disney's California Adventure. They will be on display until February 22.
"Mickey is the symbol of American hopefulness: We'll get through this, we'll whistle through bad times. Americans put their dreams into this little character. He never lost his cheerfulness,
never became a cynic. People identify with his personality,
his eternal optimism." - Roy E. Disney (born on This Day in Disney History 1930)
1904:
Actor Ray Bolger is born in Dorchester, Massachusetts. Best known for his role as the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz, Bolger plays the role of Barnaby in Disney's 1961 live-action feature Babes in Toyland.
1930:
Roy Edward Disney, a longtime senior executive for Disney and the nephew of Walt Disney, is born to Roy Oliver and Edna Disney in Los Angeles, California. He will begin working for his Uncle Walt after graduating from college in 1951 as an assistant director. He will continue to work as a writer, director, and producer until 1967 when he will be elected to the Board of Directors of the company.
1932:
The first color comic pages by Disney are published in Sunday editions of
newspapers. The Mickey Mouse Sunday page and the Silly Symphony
Sunday strip both debut. Bucky Bug (created by Earl Duvall and Al
Taliaferro) is featured in the Symphony newspaper strip.
1970:
Walt Disney World's Preview Center, located on Buena Vista Boulevard near the intersection of Interstate 4 and State Road 535 in Florida, opens. Housed in a modern glass, concrete and steel structure, the center features displays of models and drawings of the soon-to-be-opened Florida theme park.
1999:
Elton John and LeAnn Rimes perform "Written In The Stars" (from Disney's Broadway show Aida) at the 25th Annual People's Choice Awards broadcast on CBS-TV.
2001:
Disneyland Paris welcomes its 100-millionth visitor; Stefan and Andrea Seyffardt and their daughters Lisa, 6, and Marie, 4, from Germany.
2003:
The Disney Channel Original Movie You Wish! premieres.
2006:
The soundtrack to Disney Channel's High School Musical is released. (It will debut at number 143 on the Billboard 200, selling 6,469 copies in its first week!)
Roy E. Disney voices a cameo of himself in the animated series Disney's House of Mouse where Mickey accidentally sends him
an angry fax meant
for Mortimer Mouse.
2008:
Disney's newest Broadway production The Little Mermaid has its official opening night at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. (The show also debuts its original cast album exclusively on PlaybillRadio.com on the same evening - although the album won't be released until February.) The stage adaptation, directed by Francesca Zambello, features new songs by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater and stars Sierra Boggess as Ariel. In attendance is Jodi Benson - the original voice of Ariel for Disney's animated version. An "opening night after party" takes place at the Roseland Ballroom.