Walt Disney

Walt Disney was one of the most famous people ever to have lived. He has touched the lives of millions of children and adults. He holds the record for winning the most Academy Awards (26) and was an innovative film producer and animator. He created some of the most successful characters, movies and theme parks of the 20th Century.

Disney was born in 1901 in Chicago. He developed a great love of drawing as a youngster. When he was ten, he discovered the world of theatre and cinema and fell in love with it. He became the cartoonist for his high school newspaper. In 1920, he set up his own animation company and his “Laugh-O-Gram” cartoons became very popular.

Disney wanted more and so he moved to Hollywood. He developed a character based on a pet mouse he once had. He gave the mouse his own voice and personality. Disney’s wife named him Mickey. Disney put Mickey in his first movie with sound, ‘Steamboat Willie’. By 1930, Mickey Mouse was the world’s most popular cartoon character and Walt Disney was a household name.

Following on from Mickey’s success, Disney created characters such as Donald Duck, Goofy, and Pluto. He then produced an animated feature-length version of Snow White, which was the most successful movie of 1938. Dozens more movies followed, including Fantasia and Bambi. Disney built up a global entertainment empire, including his Disneyland theme park. He died of cancer in 1966. (Famous People Lessons.com)