There is a lot of ways you can describe Walt Disney.
Walt was an animator, dreamer, leader, builder, the original Imagineer, and eventually, an American icon was born. Let’s take a look at some of the significant moments throughout Walt Disney’s life.
1901: Walter Elias Disney was born in Chicago, Illinois.
1918: Walt Disney — at 16 years old — joins the Red Cross Ambulance Corps and serves during World War I.
1923: Walt Disney goes to Hollywood. Walt and his brother Roy form Disney Brothers Studios, which later transformed into The Walt Disney Company.
1925: Walt Disney marries Lillian Bounds in at Lillian’s brother’s home in Lewiston, Idaho.
1928: Mickey Mouse premieres in Steamboat Willie.
1932: Walt Disney wins his first Academy Award for Flowers and Trees.
1937: Walt Disney releases the first feature length animation, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
1940: The construction of the — now legendary — Walt Disney Burbank studio lot is completed.
1948: Walt Disney’s True-Life Adventures series debuts.
1950: Walt Disney does his first television special.
1952: Walt Disney creates WED Enterprises — later known as Walt Disney Imagineering.
1955: Walt Disney opens Disneyland. (Read about its opening day here)
1964: Walt Disney releases Mary Poppins, a film that is highly-regarded as one of his best works.
Also, in 1964, Walt Disney has attractions at the 1964 World’s Fair. The attractions included Carousel of Progress, it’s a small world, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, and Ford’s Magic Skyway.
1965: Walt Disney and Roy Disney officially announce the Disney World project.
1966: While working on the Disney World project, Walt Disney passes away on December 15, 1966 at the age of 65.
That timeline only scratches the surface of the extraordinary impact Walt Disney had on this world. He’s inspired millions of people to pursue creative endeavors. Walt Disney was the man behind the first feature length animated film and the world’s first modern theme park. Not many people get to be a “first” twice.
Walt Disney is an American icon and one of the most influential and innovative minds of his generation. His legacy only grew after his passing as Walt Disney World became the Vacation Kingdom of the World and his company would expand and become the industry standard and the envy of the entertainment industry.
Zach Perilstein is the Editor-in-Chief of the Boardwalk Times
