1964:
Walt Disney visits Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark. The
European theme park has greatly influenced Disneyland (as Walt had visited Tivoli
once before prior to opening his Anaheim park). On this day Walt poses for a photo
with 13-year-old Sven Hansem, a drummer in the Boys Guard - a uniformed band,
which marches and plays on a route through Tivoli several times a week.
1911:
Walt Disney begins attending Benton Grammar School located at 3004 Benton Boulevard in Kansas City, Missouri. (His family has recently moved from Marceline to Kansas City.) Walt will continue his formal education at Benton until he graduates from the 7th grade in 1917.
1912:
Street in Santa Monica, California. (The following year the family moved to Sacramento.) Thomas
later attended Stanford University, where he worked on a campus humor magazine with future Disney animator Ollie Johnston. After graduating from Stanford, Thomas attended Chouinard Art Institute, and then joined The Walt
Disney Company on September 24, 1934 as employee number 224. During his 43-year career, he animated dozens
of feature films and shorts, and was a member of the Dixieland band Firehouse Five Plus Two, playing the piano.
Also born on this day - lyricist Ray Gilbert in Hartford, Connecticut. Gilbert is best
remembered for the lyrics to the Oscar winning song "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" from the film Song of the South, which
he wrote with Allie Wrubel in 1947.
1927:
The very first Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoon Trolley
Troubles (created by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks) is
released. After the Alice Comedies, Disney's film distributor suggested a change in
direction to keep his animated shorts fresh. A new character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was developed. (Over
the next 2 years the Disney Studio will produce over two dozen black and white, silent Oswald cartoons.)
1929:
Legendary comedian-actor Bob Newhart, the voice of Bernard the Mouse in Disney's
The Rescuers and The Rescuers Down Under, is born in Oak Park, Illinois. In
September 2006, Hyperion Books (a general-interest book publishing part of the Disney-ABC Television
Group) released Newhart's first book, I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This. (Newhart's 1960 comedy album, The
Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart, was number one on the charts, actually beating Elvis Presley and the cast
album of The Sound of Music!) TV fans known Newhart best from the popular sitcoms Bob
Newhart Show (during the 1970s) and Newhart (during the 1980s).
1930:
Disney's black & white Mickey Mouse cartoon The Chain Gang is released. It features the first appearance of Pluto (though he is not yet named) as one of the hounds who chases Mickey!
1951:
Actor Michael Keaton is born in Corapolis, Pennsylvania. His Disney credits include the 2005
live-action feature Herbie: Fully Loaded and the 1982 television special Kraft Salutes Walt Disney World's 10th
Anniversary. Keaton is also the voice of Chick Hicks for the 2006 Cars and Ken for the 2010 Toy Story 3.
1956:
Canadian-born Mouseketeer Darlene Gillespie becomes a U.S. citizen.
1966:
Disneyland's Flying Saucers attraction (located in Tomorrowland)
closes after just 5 years in operation. Also closing in Tomorrowland
on this day ... the Tomorrowland Jets (which will return in August 1967 as the Rocket Jets).
1983:
Tokyo Disneyland welcomes its 5-millionth guest!
A tragedy occurs when 73-year-old retired Imagineer Yale Gracey and his wife are
killed in Pacific Palisades, California. A transient breaks into their cabana at the Bel Air Bay Club
and shoots to death the couple as they sleep - just 2 days after Yale's birthday. The senseless and shocking
crime will remain a mystery.
With no special effects training other than his own hands-on experimentation, Yale first worked as a layout artist
and then a research and development designer - creating illusions, such as the "999 grim, grinning ghosts"
featured in the Haunted Mansion and the flames of the burning city in Pirates of the Caribbean. First joining the
Disney Studio in 1939, he worked on Pinocchio and Fantasia. Gracey evenutally teamed up with Rolly Crump at
WED. Called an "IIllusioner" in the days before the term "Imagineer" was coined, Gracey was a wiz at coming
up with unusual effects.
1984:
Ray Watson informs Michael Eisner that he will recommend him
as new CEO of Disney, to the board of directors.
1994:
Disney World's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea attraction "temporarily closes" at the end of this day. Opened since October 14, 1971, the attraction was held inside one of 14 submarines, each with a capacity of 38 passengers. It was based on Disney's first big-budget live-action 1954 movie, which starred Kirk Douglas and James Mason. (The film was inspired by Jules Verne's classic novel.) Almost 2 years later Disney will officially call the attraction forever closed. Some of the submarines will be sunk off of Castaway Cay, Disney's private island in the Caribbean.
Today's Newsweek runs an article on Disney in which executive Roy E.
Disney (Walt's nephew) is referred to as the "keeper of the flame."
2000:
The 2000 Disneyana Convention kicks off at the Contemporary Hotel (for 5 days) at Disney World.
Over at Disneyland, Rocket Rods (a high-speed Tomorrowland attraction opened since May 1998) closes.
2001:
The animated series Stanley premieres on Disney Channel.
2003:
Michael W. Smith, Jars of Clay, and other top names in Christian music kick off Night of Joy 2003 at Disney World's Magic Kingdom.
2004:
Disney World theme parks remain closed for the second day in a row as slow-moving
Hurricane Frances (which will slowly become Tropical Depression Frances) continues to slam Florida with heavy rainfall.
Disney's Aida, the musical retelling of Verdi's classic opera, closes
its doors today after 4 1/2 years and 1,852 performances (and 30
previews) on Broadway in New York City. This day's cast includes Adam Pascal
as Radames (who originated the role back in 2000), Deborah Cox as Aida, and
Lisa Brescia as Amneris.
2006:
Twitches, Disney Channel's original movie, is released to DVD. Also released - the classic live-action features Escape to Witch Mountain and Return to Witch Mountain on a 2-set DVD.
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Animal Kingdom's Tree of Life
stands 145 feet high.
2007:
High School Musical on Tour, a new stage version of the hit
Disney Channel movie, begins a series of performances at The
Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto, Canada.
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2008:
The 26th Night of Joy at Walt Disney World kicks off for the first of two evenings at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (a first for the Florida theme park). Performers on this evening include Brandon Heath, Britt Nicole, Matthew West, Chris Tomlin, BarlowGirl, Rush of Fools, Rebecca St. James, and MercyMe.
Meanwhile over at the Magic Kingdom, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is held for the first time this season.
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SEPTEMBER 5
THIS DAY MADE
IN THE
USA
SEPTEMBER 5
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Oswald the Lucky Rabbit debuts
An international team of
artisans were brought together
to design and implement the
carving of nearly 400 animals
in it's intricate framework!
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1974:
A professional troupe of Disney World entertainers (soon to be known as the Pioneer Hall Players) continue the production of Disney’s "Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue" dinner show. Originally a college workshop summer production (that began last June), guest response to the show has been so positive that Disney has decided to continue running it in Pioneer Hall at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground.
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Frank Thomas born
"Yale (Gracey) was a sweet mild mannered guy, polite and respectful at all times. He worked at a very meticulous pace, setting up his illusions with everything done to a precise level. He got a real kick out of illusions that were done with the unique use of optics." -Imagineer Rock Hall
The Father of Theme Park Special FX
1933:
Eddie Carroll, the second voice of Jiminy Cricket, is born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. An incredible impersonator, Carroll will also be known for his one-man tribute stage
show Jack Benny: Laughter in Bloom.
1955:
The Disneyland Art Corner opens in a new, permanent location in Tomorrowland.
The souvenir store began as a temporary location in a striped tent just off the hub near the Red Wagon Inn, when Disneyland opened in July 1955. Now that work on Tomorrowland has been completed, the Art Corner has found a new home featuring a Paris-inspired interior theme. Among its many products are postcards, flip books, artist prints, art supplies, animation kits and originla hand-painted animation cels.
2010:
Paul Ngeny, 31, of Auburn, California, leads a record field of more than 14,000
registered runners at the 5th annual Disneyland Half Marathon, crossing the finish
line first with a time of 1:07:24 - beating the fastest Disneyland Half Marathon time
by 41 seconds! Finishing just behind Ngeny is Eric Marenburg, 27, of San Diego, California, with a time of
1:12:10. and Kevin Broady, 48, of Brea, California, finishing third with a time of 1:12:43.
Rachel Booth, 29, of Mountain View, California, claims the title of 2010 women’s champion with a time of 1:15:19,
beating the fastest women’s finisher time in the history of the Disneyland Half Marathon by 00:04:04!
1988:
Live with Regis and Kathie Lee (a Disney/Buena Vista production) begins airing nationwide. Hosted by Regis Philbin and Kathie Lee Gifford, the morning talk show (originally titled
"The Morning Show") has been airing in New York City since 1983.
