1922:
Actor Royal Dano, the voice of Abraham Lincoln for Disney's Hall
of Presidents and Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln attractions, is
born in New York City. Tall, dark, lanky and gaunt-looking with squinty, but
piercing, eyes, high cheekbones and a smoky, mellow sounding voice, Walt Disney personally selected Dano. (He first portrayed the famous president in "Mr. Lincoln," a 1952 five-part TV episode on the educational series
Omnibus.) Dano also appeared in Disney's 1983 live-action Something Wicked This Way Comes, playing the role of Tom Fury. He is the father of actor Rick Dano and grandfather of Disney Channel star Hutch Dano.
2004:
A Wrinkle in Time, Disney's made-for-TV adaptation of the popular book by Madeleine L'Engle (which aired Spring 2004) is released on DVD. Also released on DVD is the Wonderful World of Disney television movie Elose at Christmastime starring Julie Andrews and Sofia Vassilieva.
Stitch's Great Escape! is officially opened at Walt Disney World's Magic
Kingdom with a short ceremony held in front of Cinderella's Castle - which is
covered with Stitch toilet papers! A "theater-in-the-round" experience based on the 2002
animated feature Lilo & Stitch, it is the 4th attraction to occupy the site in Tomorrowland. Stitch's Great Escape!
includes much of the technology and sets from its predecessor, the ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter.
Also debuting in Florida is Turtle Talk with Crush, a new Epcot attraction. Designed by Walt Disney Imagineering in collaboration with Pixar, the attraction (which features Crush - a sea turtle from Finding Nemo) is located in Future World.
It is announced that Mickey Mouse will be the Grand Marshal for the 2005 Tournament of Roses Parade (to be held on January 1, 2005 in Pasadena, California).
1955:
Mickey Mouse Club airs on ABC-TV. Today is Anything Can Happen Day.
The Disneyland television series airs "Davy Crockett: Keelboat
Race" (the 4th of 5 Crockett programs) starring Fess Parker and Buddy Ebsen.
1976:
The Dapper Dans of Disney World - a barbershop singing group made up of Bub Thomas, Neel Tyree, Tom Howe, Buddy Seeberg, and Dick Kneeland - perform on the Diamond Horseshoe stage. The show is put together by the group to show Disney World management the various routines and talents (not normally performed on Main Street) they can offer convention shows .
1986:
The TV series The Wonderful World of Disney airs the episode "The Leftovers" starring John Denver and Pamela Segall. A close-knit group of orphans and their father-figure, Max (Denver), try
to keep their home from being shut down.
1990:
Disney's 29th animated feature film The Rescuers Down Under premieres along with the 25-minute animated featurette The Prince and the Pauper.
The Rescuers Down Under (a sequel to the 1977 The Rescuers) is the very first Disney animated sequel. The film is also the first traditionally animated film to be painted digitally on computer (using the new computerized CAPS process) instead of acetate cels and paints. The Rescuers Down Under finds Miss Bianca (voiced by Eva Gabor) and Bernard (Bob Newhart), racing to Australia to save a boy and a rare golden eagle from a murderous poacher! The voice cast also includes funnyman John Candy as Wilbur and veteran actor George C. Scott as McLeach.
The Prince and the Pauper features Mickey Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck and other Disney characters in a variation of Mark Twain's classic 1881 story. In this version Mickey plays two identical mice, one a pauper and the other a prince!
1997:
The Annie Awards are presented at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium
in Pasadena, California. Disney's Hercules takes home 4 awards. The Best
Animated Home Video Production is given to Aladdin and the King of Thieves. Voice actor Paul
Winchell (the voice of Disney's Tigger) is one of three given the prestigious Winsor McCay Award.
2001:
Santa Monica's Lincoln Middle School receives the Disney Learning Partnership’s Spotlight School of the Year for 2001 Award. The Award, which includes $10,000 in cash (and goes to a single school each year) is designed to showcase exceptional American schools.
The Lizzie McGuire episode
"Gordo and the Dwarves" debuts on Disney Channel.
2003:
Toon Disney and Disney Channel celebrate Mickey & Minnie's upcoming 75th
birthday with a House of Mouse marathon.
After a four-month run on Broadway, Toni Braxton gives her final performance
as the star of Disney's Aida.
The Burbank Historical Society officially dedicates a new, permanent exhibit
devoted to the Walt Disney Studios (for the company's 80th anniversary).
2006:
"Mary Poppins" a new Broadway stage musical, opens at Disney's New
Amsterdam Theater in New York City. The show features Ashley Brown as Mary
and Gavin Lee (direct from the hit London cast) as Bert. This evening's cast also includes Daniel H. Jenkins
as George Banks, Rebecca Luker as Winifred Banks, and Jane Carr as Mrs. Brill.
Eustace Lycett, a 43-year Disney veteran who won Academy Awards for his
special photographic effects in Mary Poppins and Bedknobs and Broomsticks,
passes away in Fullerton, California. Lycett began with Disney in 1937, when his first project
was to assist with the design and construction of the multi-plane camera. For much of his career at Disney,
he served as director of special visual effects, and created f/x for features including Song of the South,
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Shaggy Dog, The Absent-Minded Professor, Swiss Family Robinson,
The Love Bug and The Black Hole.
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1965:
Walt Disney visits the Disney World site in Florida the day after the news conference in Orlando. Among those accompanying Walt is Joe Potter, the former New York World's Fair executive and engineering/logistical planning genius, who has been hired to supervise the construction. Potter has the Herculean task of transforming 300 acres of land into the Magic Kingdom, while preserving the area's ecology and beauty.
The Miami News runs the article, "Walt Disney's Magical World of Something"
by reporter Dick Nellius.
1931:
Luciano Bottaro, best known as one of the classic Italian artists of Disney comics, is born in Rapallo, Italy. Bottaro began working for the Italian Disney comics in 1951. Up until the mid-1980s, he illustrated many stories with 'Paperino' ('Donald Duck') and other Disney characters for Topolino. Besides his work on Disney's characters, he worked on other magazines, creating many characters including the popular
Pepito, the comical adventures of a 17-century buccaneer.
RCA Victor rushed out a soundtrack album (consisting of 3 records) early in 1938 for the successful Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It was the first movie album ever to be produced that featured the actual soundtracks recorded from the movie.
1934:
A Snow White meeting is held at the Disney Studios which results in another outline entitled ‘Dwarfs Discover Snowwhite’. The character of Dopey is introduced (who will ultimately prove to be the most successful and popular of the dwarf characterizations).
2007:
At Ten Star Ranch in Dubois, Indiana, Mickey Mouse (dressed as a Pilgrim) introduces the two real-life turkeys who will receive presidential pardons from U.S. President George W. Bush at The White House on Tuesday, November 20 at the 60th annual National Thanksgiving Turkey presentation.
(Following their presidential pardons, the turkeys will join Super Bowl stars and other celebrities by "Going to Disney World" for a celebratory parade in their honor on Thanksgiving Day!)
It is reported that Tim Burton has signed a two-picture deal with Disney to direct and produce 3-D movies of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and a remake of Burton's own Frankenweenie. The "Alice" adaptation (which begins filming in 2008) will be a combination of live-action and performance capture. Frankenweenie will be shot in stop-motion animation.
Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 70th Anniversary Event takes place at Disney’s California Adventure Park. (Snow White will actually turn 70 on December 21.)
2008:
Actress-singer Selena Gomez, star of the Disney Channel series
Wizards of Waverly Place, visits Walt Disney World.
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Stitch's Great Escape! debuts at WDW
Walt visits Disney World site
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"I'd like to dance and tap my feet ... But they won't keep in rhythm ... You see, I washed 'em both today ... And I can't do nothin' with 'em." -Happy from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
The LP was released in January 1938 as Songs from Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
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2009:
Singer-songwriter Jon Bon Jovi visits Disney’s
Hollywood Studios theme park at Walt Disney World.
The Victorian gingerbread house at Disney’s Grand
Floridian Resort & Spa officially opens for the season. Six pastry chefs used 1,050
pounds of honey to "cook up" the 16-foot high gingerbread house!
Over on the West Coast, Andrew Sutton - the executive chef of Napa Rose in Disneyland's Grand Californian Hotel - is awarded the Antonin Careme Medal, which is given by the Chefs Association of the Pacific Coast. The medal honors Sutton for his achievements, including Napa Rose’s menu.
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"This medal means so much to me. It is truly humbling to be recognized for outstanding and lasting contributions.
For me, what it’s really about are the people I work with and the guests we serve." -Andrew Sutton
SEASON 2 EPISODE 10
2010:
Walt Disney Records releases a soundtrack album to the upcoming animated movie Tangled. Featured are both the film’s songs and score written by Alan Menken
(with lyrics by Glenn Slater).
The annual Thea Awards, presented by the Themed Entertainment Association recognizing and honoring excellence in the creation of extraordinary visitor experiences, attractions, exhibits and places, are announced.
Among the winners:
The Buzz Price Award - Recognizing a Lifetime of Distinguished Achievements - Kim Irvine, Art Director, Disneyland
Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement (Museum) - The Walt Disney Family Museum, San Francisco
Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement (Nighttime Spectacular) - World of Color, Disney California Adventure
(The 17th Annual Thea Awards will be formally presented March 12, 2011 in Hollywood, California.)
Walt Disney's fun-and-fantasy makers began detailed planning today for a $100 million-plus entertainment center near Orlando featuring two new cities - Yesterday and Tomorrow.
Disney, who with a Mouse named Mickey established a vast cartoon-TV-movie-attraction empire, said the project will take at least three years to complete on 27,000 acres straddling the Orange-Osecola County line.
Today is International Day for Tolerance
Have photos or memorabilia from a bygone Disney era?
Share your memories with This Day in Disney History.
The Wonderful World of Disney airs "Oliver Twist" on ABC-TV.
Disney Channel debuts a new episode of Muppets Tonight with special guest Dennis
Quaid. Quaid performs "Great Balls of Fire" - originally a song recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis in 1957 and used
as the title for Lewis's 1989 film biography, which starred Quaid.
