1998:
At Super Bowl XXXII (in San Diego) Denver Broncos quarterback
John Elway declares "I'm going to Disneyland!" after his team defeats the Green Bay Packers, 31–24.
1938:
Passionate rhythm-and-blues singer Etta James - whose version of "It's A
Small World/When You Wish Upon a Star Medley" appears on the CD
Disney's Music From The Park - is born in Los Angeles, California.
Disney animator Art Babbitt and other unhappy employees, who believe they
need to create a federation for representation, hold a general membership
meeting at the American Legion Hall in Hollywood. The group elects Babbitt
as president of the Cartoonists Federation.
2005:
The Disney/Pixar animated film The Incredibles is nominated for 4 Academy Awards!
Walt Disney Records releases Mulan 2 Soundtrack featuring Lea Salonga, Joel McNeely, Beth Blankenship, Mandy Gonzalez, and Judy Kuhn.
1864:
Author Lewis Carroll asks illustrator Sir John Tenniel to illustrate his story Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
1905:
Author Margery Sharp is born in Wiltshire, England. She will write 26 novels for adults, 14
stories for children, 4 plays, 2 mysteries, and numerous short stories. Sharp's most famous work The
Rescuers (a series about a mouse) will be adapted into 2 Disney animated films - The Rescuers and The
Rescuers Down Under.
1931:
Actor Dean Jones, whose Disney credits include the live-action features The Love Bug, The Shaggy D.A., Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo, Snowball Express, The Horse in the Gray Flaneel Suit, and That Darn Cat!, is born in Morgan City, Alabama.
1961:
Disney's 17th animated feature film 101 Dalmatians - featuring the voice of Rod Taylor - premieres. It is the first Disney feature to solely use the Xerox process for transferring the animators' drawings to cels. Prior to this, each one of the animators' drawings had to be hand-traced in ink onto a cel. The new process has sped up production greatly. It is directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, Hamilton Luske, and Clyde Geronimi. (The film will be generally released the following month.)
1985:
Composer Paul J. Smith passes away in Glendale, California. He wrote background music for
nearly every Disney True-Life Adventure film and received an Oscar (along with Leigh Harline and Ned
Washington) for the music in Pinocchio. Smith also received Academy Awards nominations for Perri, Cinderella,
Song of the South, The Three Caballeros, Victory Through Air Power, and Saludos Amigos. He even appeared in
Fantasia ... as a member of the orchestra. In 1994, he will be posthumously awarded as a Disney Legend.
1987:
The television series The Wonderful World of Disney airs the episode "Double Switch."
Super Bowl XXI is played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The halftime show is a Disney production called "Salute to Hollywood's 100th Anniversary," featuring Southern California-area High School drill teams and dancers. The New York Giants win over the Denver Broncos, 39-20.
1993:
Toontown continues its official grand opening festivities at Disneyland. On hand to
take part in a parade and special events are Michael Eisner and such celebrities as Robin Williams, Sally Fields,
Dan Ackroyd, Danny DeVito, Ted Danson, and Tom Selleck. (Toontown will be dedicated the following day.)
1999:
McDonald's opens a themed restaurant in the Disney Village area at Disneyland Paris.
2000:
Disney names Robert Iger President and Chief Operating Officer, making him
the company's number two executive under Chairman and CEO Michael Eisner.
2002:
The Orlando Sentinel reports that Disney World plans to demolish about one-fourth of its troubled Disney Institute and build 192 new time-share units there.
2004:
The historic Egyptian Theater in Hollywood screens Disney's Sleeping Beauty in its original 70MM format.
Disney's Dreams on Parade begins running at Tokyo Disneyland as part of the park's 20th anniversary celebration.
At the Golden Globe Awards, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy goes to Bill Murray for his performance in Lost in Translation,
beatiing out Johnny Depp for his role in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
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2007:
Jim and Lisa Fouch and their children, Brad and Hannah from Michigan make history as the first Walt Disney World guests to win a night's stay inside Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom Park.
"Dalmatians" is probably the
most-misspelled Disney
word (most people spell it
"dalmations"). However,
according to Disney it is a
place ... so both people and dogs from there
are Dalmatians.
JANUARY 25
JAN
2008:
Disney Channel premieres the original film Minutemen, about three "uncool" high school seniors who find a way to change their world, thanks to a homemade time machine. It stars Jason Dolley (from Disney Channel's Cory in the House) as Virgil Fox.
It's 'arf comedy...'arf mystery...and it's howlarious!
advertisement
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Happy Birthday Dean Jones
JANUARY 25
THIS DAY MADE
IN THE
USA
101 Dalmatians premieres
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1957:
Film and television actress Jenifer Lewis, the voice of Mama Odie in Disney's 2009 The Princess and the Frog, is born in Missouri. Back in 1987, Lewis was hired as the Pre-Show announcer on the Star Tours ride at Disneyland!
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"We really believe that Walt Disney is a very able company with great depth and a great set of franchises."
-Robert Iger
