The First Two Mickey Mouse Cartoons Failed, The Third One, “Steamboat Willie” Was A Hit

Making his debut on November 18, 1928, we commemorate the birth of that ever-lovable mouse that was once a rabbit called Oswald.

To get to the beginning of the story, we have to go back to 1927 when Walt Disney first sketched a floppy-eared bunny while under contract to Universal Studios. The events that unraveled brought us Mickey Mouse.

• 1901 – Walt Disney is born. Young Walt begins life in Chicago and, during his childhood in Missouri, he practices drawing while developing a love for theater.
• 1918 – With a desire to join the army fighting in Europe, Disney drops out of school, but he is underage so he joins the Red Cross instead.
• 1928 – The first Mickey Mouse cartoon actually completed was Plane Crazy. Inspired by Charles Lindbergh’s heroic first solo flight across the Atlantic. The cartoon premiered in Hollywood on May 15, 1928, it was a test screening. It failed to obtain distribution.
  • The second Mickey Mouse cartoon, The Gallopin’ Gaucho, met with the same fate. One unpleasant distributor even told Walt, “They don’t know you, and they don’t know your mouse.
• 1928 – From a rabbit named Oswald to a mouse named Mortimer, eventually, the squeaky-voiced rodent was dubbed Mickey. On November 18, 1928, Mickey’s Star was born. The first animation synchronized to music and sound effects, Steamboat Willie premiered in New York.
• 1928 – Minnie Mouse shares the same birthday as Mickey since she debuted in the same cartoon – Steamboat Willie.
• 1933 – Walt Disney Said That Minnie And Mickey Mouse Are Indeed , Although They Keep It Private And They Do Not Share A Home.
• 1935 – A makeover in 1935 by animator Fred Moore gave Mickey the look we are familiar with today. The big eyes, white gloves, and the pert little nose. More lovable than ever before, he propelled himself even further into the hearts of children everywhere.
• 1935 – The first Mickey Mouse film in Technicolor, “The Bad Concert,” was released.
• 1940 – One of Disney’s first films and Mickey Mouse’s very first full-length feature film, Fantasia was released.
• 1955 – The television show is one of the most popular children’s shows of all time, running for four years, then returning again in 1996.
• 1970s – In the 1970s, Mickey Released A Disco Album that went Double Platinum.
• 1987 – The first Mickey Mouse hot air balloon took flight.
• 1993 – Mickey’s Toontown opened at Disneyland, featuring the “Mickey’s House and Meet Mickey” attraction.
• 2004 – “Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas” featured the character in CGI animation for the first time.
• 2024 – The original copyright for the first iteration of Mickey Mouse ended in 2024
•  Walt Disney originally called him “Mortimer Mouse”, but his wife Lillian convinced him to change it to Mickey!
• Mickey’s companions, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto, joined him along the way, bringing vaudevillian comedy with them.
• Most U.S. presidents have posed alongside Mickey, with the notable exception of Lyndon Johnson.
• Speaking Of Presidents, Mickey Mouse Is The Most popular name at The Voting Booth.
• Mickey Mouse Was The First Cartoon Character To Ever Speak. And What Were His first words? “Hot Dogs!”
• Mickey Mouse wears white gloves so that his hands can be distinguished from his entire body.
• Mickey Rooney Claims That He Was The Inspiration For Mickey Mouse’s Name.
• Mickey Mouse is the first Cartoon Character To Earn A Star On The Hollywood Walk Of Fame.
• Walt Disney Originally Held The Patent For Technicolor, Meaning That Disney Was The Only Animator Who Could Make cartoons in color.
• Walt Disney voiced Mickey For Many Years.
• Mickey’s full name is Michael Theodore “Mickey” Mouse.
• The ride at Walt Disney World that has the most Hidden Mickeys is at Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Watch Steamboat Willie http://video.disney.com/watch/steamboat-willie-4ea9de5180b375f7476ada2c

Sources:

National Day Calendar

Days of the Year

National Today