2005:
Disney releases Howl's Moving Castle in theaters. An animated love story set in a fantasy world, the feature is directed by Hayao Miyazaki.
1882:
Composer Igor Stravinsky is born in Russia. His composition The Rite of Spring can be heard in Disney's 1940 Fantasia. (Classical music lovers who know the pieces used in Fantasia are sometimes offended by the cuts that were taken. The cuts in The Rite of Spring angered Stravinsky - the only composer living at the time whose work was represented in the film!)
1930:
William Banks Levy becomes Disney's representative in England. He is authorized to license Mickey and Minnie Mouse character merchandising.
1933:
Disney's Mickey Mouse cartoon Mickey's Mechanical Man, directed by
Wilfred Jackson and featuring the music of Leigh Harline, is released.
1938:
Disney's Donald Duck cartoon Polar Trappers is released. Directed by Ben Sharpsteen, the short features the voices of Pinto Colvig (as Goofy) and Clarence Nash (as Donald).
1946:
Singer-songwriter, arranger & producer Barry Manilow is born Barry Alan Pincus in Brooklyn, New York. He will go on to co-write the musical score for Disney's 1988 animated feature Oliver and Company - in particular the song "Perfect Isn't Easy." (Manilow's career achievements include sales of more than 76 million records worldwide!)
1971:
Valerie Suldo (from New Jersey) becomes the 100-millionth guest to enter Disneyland - at 11:13 in the morning!
1972:
The Main Street Electric Parade kicks off at Disneyland.
1977:
Jason Minor, a member of the 90's TV show The All New Mickey Mouse Club, and part of the country act Shiloh, is born in Maryland.
1997:
A touring exhibition of design art - from the Walt Disney Imagineering archives - called Designing Disney's Theme Parks: The Architecture of Reassurance is displayed at the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal.
2000:
Disney Channel's series Even Stevens debuts as does the Disney Channel Original Movie Stepsister from Planet Weird.
2002:
Authentic memorabilia from the Estate of Elvis Presley and exclusive VIP vacation experiences to Elvis Week in Memphis, commemorating the 25th anniversary of Elvis' death, are auctioned at Disney Auctions (presented by E-Bay) from this day through July 4. The auction surrounds the June 21 nationwide release of Disney's Lilo & Stitch, an animated comedy with an exuberant lead character named Lilo, who is crazy for Elvis and his music.
2006:
Raven opens the First Annual 'School's Out!' Radio Disney Music Festival at Morey's Piers in New Jersey.
1903:
Painter and teacher Donald Wilkinson Graham is born in Ontario, Canada. He will be Walt's resident instructor between 1932-1941, teaching such young animators as Marc Davis and Ollie Johnston.
Songwriter Sammy Fain's
contribution to Peter Pan include the songs "The Second Star to the Right," "You Can Fly!,"
"What Makes the Red Man Red?,"
"Your Mother and Mine," and
"The Elegant Captain Hook."
1987:
Walt Disney Pictures releases Benji the Hunted in theaters.
2007:
Forest Of No Return - Hal Willner Presents The Vintage Disney Songbook takes
place at London's South Bank Centre. A host of rockers including Shane McGowan
(formerly of The Pogues) and Nick Cave team up to perform a concert featuring the
music of Disney.
1902:
Academy Award-winning composer & Songwriter Hall of Famer Sammy Fain is born Samuel Feinberg in New York City. He'll contribute to the song scores for such Walt Disney animated films as Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, and The Rescuers (his final film credit). Fain is probably best known for his Oscar-winning song "Love is a Many Splendored Thing," co-written with Paul Francis.
1916:
Singer-songwriter Terry Gilkyson (a name not well remembered today but very influential in the world of pop and folk music) is born Hamilton Henry Gilkyson in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. Known for his group Terry Gilkyson and the Easy Riders, their version of "Marianne" was a million seller. In the 60's Gilkyson left the group and began working on movies for Walt Disney Studios. He wrote music for Swiss Family Robinson, The Aristocats, and The Moon-Spinners, along with the television program The Wonderful World Of Disney. In 1968 he received an Academy Award nomination for writing "The Bear Necessities" for The Jungle Book (the film's only song not written by the Sherman Brothers).
1919:
Songwriter/pianist Gene de Paul is born in New York City. His music can
be heard in such Disney features as So Dear to My Heart, The
Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, and Alice in Wonderland. (He's best
known for the song "Teach Me Tonight," written with Sammy Cahn.)
1994:
Disney sends a team of artists to China to gather info for an upcoming new
animated feature based on The Legend of Mulan (first suggested by children's
author Robert San Souci). Over the next 2 weeks, the team will visit Datong, Luoyang, Xian, Jiayuguan,
Dunhuang, and Guilin,
JUNE
2008:
Fireworks, dancing and parachuting sky divers welcome Toy Story Mania! to Disney’s California Adventure at the attraction's official grand opening in Paradise Pier. The
interactive attraction opens after three years of design and construction (the same Toy Story ride opened in Walt
Disney World last May). The ride's line features a large Mr. Potato Head Audio-Animatronics figure that interacts
with guests through pre-recorded snippets of dialogue performed by comedian Don Rickles, who voiced the
character in the Toy Story films. The sophisticated figure can identify people in the audience, sing and tell jokes!
The soundtrack to Disney Channel's made-for-TV movie "Camp Rock," starring the Jonas Brothers, is released on Disney Records.
AFIs 10 Top 10 airs on CBS-TV. American Film Institute presents America's 10 greatest films in 10 classic genres. Among the winners is Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the #1 spot in the animation category. Other Disney classics in the animation genre include Pinocchio (at #2), Bambi (at #3), The Lion King (at #4), Fantasia (at #5), Toy Story (at #6), Beauty and the Beast (at #7), Cinderella (at #9), and Finding Nemo (at #10).
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JUNE 17
JUNE 17
THIS SITE MADE
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USA
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Toy Story Mania! Disneyland grand opening
"Who out there can't hear me? Raise your hand." -Mr. Potato Head
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