2003:
The Atlanta Braves take on the Houston Astros in their last
2003 pre-season baseball game at Disney's Wide World
of Sports Complex in Florida.
1901:
Cartoonist Carl Barks is born to Arminta & William Barks on a farm in Merrill, Oregon. He will draw Donald Duck comic books (starting in 1943) for 3 decades and invent Duckburg
and many of its inhabitants, such as Scrooge McDuck and Gladstone Gander. The quality of his scripts
and drawings will earn him the nick names The Duck Man and The Good Duck Artist.
(He will be inducted a Disney Legend in 1991.)
1930:
George Borgfeldt and Company issues its first Disney merchandising license to Walkburger, Tanner and Company of Switzerland. Disney's first licensee will manufacture handkerchiefs featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse (and later distribute a variety of wooden Disney characters under the "Fun-e-Flex" name).
1940:
Actor Austin Pendleton - the voice of Gurgle in Disney/Pixar's 2003 Finding Nemo -
is born in Warren, Ohio. Also a playwright and a theatre director, Pendleton has appeared in such
features as A Beautiful Mind, My Cousin Vinny, and Sgt. Bilko.
1952:
The first public announcement of Walt Disney's plans to build Disneyland are printed in the Burbank Daily Review with the headline:
"Walt Disney Make-Believe Land Project Planned Here — $1.5 Million Dreamland To Rise On Site In Burbank."
(At this time Walt's plans call for the park to be built near his studios in Burbank, California.)
1957:
The Disneyland television series airs "Donald's Award."
Walt explains that his cartoon family at the studio has been fun to work with, but also stresses that like most families, his has a problem child ... Donald Duck, whose bad conduct has gotten so out of hand that something has to be done about it. Walt decides to give Donald an award for good conduct if he can keep his conduct in check for just a week. To make sure that such a request is upheld, Walt sends Jiminy Cricket to keep an eye on the duck, particularly when the complaint box suddenly turns up empty!
Although Disney's Cow Dog and Somoa are both nominated for Short Subjects, Two-Reel, The Bespoke Overcoat takes home the Oscar at the 1956 Academy Awards. Disney's Man in Space (nominated for Documentary, Short Subjecys) is edged out by True Story of the Civil War.
The Ingersoll-Waterbury Company presents Walt Disney with the 25-millionth Mickey Mouse watch during a ceremony at Disneyland!
1959:
Disneyland Records recording artist and Mouseketeer Annette Funicello sings "Tall
Paul" and "Jo-Jo the Dog Faced Boy" on TV's American Bandstand. In a humorous bit,
host Dick Clark holds "the strings" to "puppet" Annette as she sings "Tall Paul." Written by the Sherman Brothers,
"Tall Paul" marks the first time that a female singer reaches a top ten slot for a rock and roll single. "Jo Jo the Dog
Faced Boy," a novelty song also written by the Sherman Brothers - but in collaboration with L.A. based songwriter
Bob Roberts - is Funicello's follow-up single.
The TV series Walt Disney Presents airs the classic
"Toot, Whistle, Plunk and Boom."
1995:
Elton John and Tim Rice are presented with the Oscar for Best Song in a motion picture for The Lion King's "Can You Feel The Love Tonight." Disney's animated feature also receives an award for Original Score - by German film score composer and music producer Hans Zimmer.
David Letterman hosts the 67th Academy Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium.
1999:
The rededication of the E. P. Ripley, Disneyland Railroad's Steam Engine No. 2 takes place at Disneyland. The train - which has been in service since the park's opening day in 1955 - was considered Walt Disney's favorite attraction. It has been totally restored.
2001:
Disney releases the CD Cruella's Favorite Villain Songs.
Disney's road version of its hit Broadway musical Aida debuts in Minneapolis.
1989:
The Walt Disney World Casting Center building opens in Florida. The official center
for employment and recruiting for the Walt Disney World Resort, the building (located across from the
Downtown Disney complex) has been designed by architect
Robert A. M. Stern.
The 61st Academy Awards are presented at the Shrine Auditorium in Los
Angeles, California. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (distributed by Touchstone Pictures) wins Best Film
Editing and Best Visual Effects. Tin Toy (a Pixar short) is awarded an Oscar for Best Short Film (Animated).
Directed by John Lasseter, it will be selected in 2003 for preservation in the United States National Film
Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
1970:
Actress Elizabeth Mitchell, Mrs. Claus/Carol Calvin in Disney's 2006 live-action feature The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, is born in Los Angeles, California. She first played Santa's wife in the 2002 The Santa Claus 2: The Mrs. Clause. Fans of ABC's TV series Lost know Mitchell for her character of Dr. Juliet Burke.
Disney's Fantasia began
production as a short called
The Sorcerer's Apprentice.
Because of the effort & costs,
the Disney brothers realized
that they could never make
their costs back if they
released it as a short. It was
decided that a "Concert
Feature" should
be made.
"I always felt myself to be an unlucky person like Donald, who is a victim of so many circumstances. But there isn't a person in the United States who couldn't identify with him. He is everything, he is everybody; he makes the same mistakes that we all make." -Carl Barks
2007:
The soundtrack for Meet The Robinsons is released on Walt Disney Records. Featuring performances by Rob Thomas, Rufus Wainwright, The All-American Rejects, Jonas Brothers, and Jamie Cullum, the album also includes a cover version of "There's a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" by They Might Be Giants.
1988:
Actress, singer, and producer Brenda Song is born in Carmichael, California (a suburb of Sacramento). She is known for her comedic role of spoiled heiress London Tipton on Disney Channel's The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and the follow-up series The Suite Life on Deck. Song won a Young Artist Award for her performance in Disney's 2000 The Ultimate Christmas Present and starred in the 2006 Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior (one of the highest viewed Disney Channel movies - with over 5.7 million viewers on the night of its premiere). She is also part of the Disney Channel Circle of Stars, a music group that sings Disney songs.
2008:
A baby giraffe named AJ enters the world at Disney's Animal Kingdom. The calf (the third giraffe to be born this year at the theme park) stands at about six feet tall, and weighs in at 145 pounds.
MARCH 27
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MARCH 27
THIS DAY MADE IN THE USA
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The Lion King wins Oscars
Disneyland announces it has acquired a new locomotive, Disneyland Railroad engine No. 5, that will be dedicated under the name "Ward Kimball" in Ward's honor. The newly acquired engine is currently undergoing restoration and will have custom paintings of Jiminy Cricket by Mr. Kimball on either side of the headlamp.
2009:
Disneyland's "Celebrate! A Street Party" debuts. The new seasonal parade (a high-energy feel
reminiscent of the High School Musical films) features 48 dancers, 12 acrobats on stilts, 3 DJs, 12 drivers of
combination bicycle/drum kits, and 24 Disney characters.
Disney Channel debuts the second season of Phineas and Ferb with episode 48 "The Lake Nose Monster."
1921:
Fletcher Markle, the director of Disney's 1963 The Incredible Journey is born in
Winnipeg, Manitoba. Also an actor, screenwriter, and television producer, Markle interviewed Walt
Disney himself for a 1963 TV spot.
1985:
Legendary actor Bob Hope is on hand for Disney-MGM's official groundbreaking on a
135-acre plot of land located one mile southwest of Epcot. (The park will open 4 years later.)
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SEASON 3 EPISODE 20
1975:
The webmaster of This Day in Disney History (at age 13) ends his second trip ever to Walt Disney World.
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