1986:
Floyd Gottfredson, the man who gave Mickey Mouse his comic strip personality,
passes away at his Southern California home at age 81. Born 1905 in Utah, Gottfredson
moved to Southern California with his wife and family at the age of 23. Unable to find work as a cartoonist, he did
find employment as a movie projectionist. It wasn't until December 1929 that Walt Disney Productions hired
Gottfredson as an apprentice animator and in-betweener. The following year he started working on the four-
month-old Mickey Mouse comic strip (which had originally been scripted by Walt Disney and drawn by Ub Iwerks).
Gottfredson continued to produce the Mickey Mouse strips for the next 45 years. It's been said he had the same
impact on the Mickey Mouse comics as Carl Barks had on the Donald Duck comics. Gottfredson will be named a

2004:
The Walt Disney Company honors some of the most creative teachers across the
country with the annual DisneyHand Teacher Awards. Thirty-nine talented
educators are recognized during a 4-day event at the Disneyland Park.
Christy Carlson Romano (the current Belle in Disney's Broadway show Beauty and
the Beast) takes part in "Broadway at Bryant Park" in New York City. The event includes
casts from other Broadway shows as well.
1939:
Actor Terence Stamp, who portrayed Ramsley in Disney's 2003 The Haunted Mansion, is born in London, England. Movie fans will recognize this veteran award-winning actor from such features as Get Smart, Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Alien Nation, and Superman.
1943:
Singer and actor Bobby Sherman (who became a popular teen idol in the late 1960s and early 1970s through hit records and TV appearances) is born in Santa Monica, California. He performed at Disney-MGM Studios as part of The Teen Idols tour in December 1998. During the 1990s he became an EMT officer for the L.A. Police Department. A big Disney fan, during the 1970s Sherman built a 1/5 scale model of Disneyland's Main Street in his backyard!
1947:
Actor-writer-director-comedian Albert Brooks, the voice of Marlin the clownfish in the 2003 Finding Nemo, is born in Beverly Hills, California.
Multi-talented Brooks directed six short films for the first season of NBC's Saturday Night Live, and created such features as The Muse, Mother, Defending Your Life, and Lost In America.
1949:
Academy Award-winning songwriter Alan Menken, known for his work on
such Disney classics as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin,
Hercules, and Pocahontas, is born in New Rochelle, New York. Menken's large song
catalogue includes "Under the Sea" & "Kiss The Girl" from The Little Mermaid, "Beauty and the Beast" & "Be Our
Guest" from Beauty and the Beast, "A Whole New World" from Aladdin, and "Colors of the Wind" from Pocahontas.
1955:
At Disneyland, the Candy Palace opens on Main Street. Over in
Tomorrowland, Rocket to the Moon presented by TWA debuts. A simulated
ride to the moon, guests seated in a theater view their journey on screens. An iconic rocket, the
Moonliner, stands outside, towering over the attraction building. Visiting the park on his birthday is
future teen idol Bobby Sherman and his family.
Actor Willem Dafoe, the voice of Gill in the 2003 Finding Nemo, is born in Appleton, Wisconsin. (Fans of the Spider Man series of films will know him as the Greeen Goblin.)
1967:
Irene Bedard, the speaking voice of Pocahontas in
Disney's 1995 animated film, is born in Anchorage, Alaska.
She also supplied the voice for the 1998 direct-to-video sequel Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World. Bedard was the physical model for the character as well.
1994:
The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror attraction opens on Sunset Boulevard at
Disney World's Disney-MGM Studios. A simulated freefall thrill ride, it is
themed after the popular television series The Twilight Zone, hosted and
created by Rod Serling. (The television anthology series originally ran for 156 episodes between 1959-
1964.) The Disney attraction takes place in the fictional Hollywood Tower Hotel (itself inspired by the Hollywood
Tower, a real structure built in 1929 and named an historic landmark by the US Department of the Interior). The
story of the hotel is adapted from elements of the television series, including the hotel being struck by lightning on
October 31, 1939 and mysteriously transporting an elevator cart full of passengers to the Twilight Zone!
Clic2003:
Walt Disney Records releases the soundtrack to the hit Disney Channel original animated series Kim Possible.
2006:
In celebration of its 10th birthday, Radio Disney presents a concert at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim in Anaheim, California. This Radio Disney Totally 10 Birthday Concert features Jesse McCartney, Bowling For Soup, The Cheetah Girls, Aly & AJ, and Everlife.
1963:
Tex Beneke and his orchestra - featuring Ray Eberle, Paula Kelly, and The
Modernaires, perform at Disneyland for the first of a six-day engagement. Beneke, the
most popular member of Glenn Miller's pre-World War II orchestra, is known for his performances on songs such as
"Chattanooga Choo Choo" and "Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree."
At 199 feet,
The Twilight Zone
Tower of Terror is the second tallest attraction on Walt Disney World property!
"I fell in love with the park when I went there with my
parents on my 12th birthday." -Bobby Sherman on Disneyland
"Hello, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to The Hollywood Tower Hotel."
"You unlock this door with the key of imagination. Beyond it is another dimension. A dimension of sound. A dimension of sight. You're moving into a land of both shadow and substance, of things and ideas. You've just crossed over into ... The Twilight Zone." -Rod Serling
1992:
Actress and singer Selena Gomez, one of the stars of Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place, is born in New York City. Raised in Texas, her first role was on Barney & Friends.
This led to work with Disney and appearances on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and Hannah Montana. As a singer she contributed to the soundtracks of Tinker Bell, Another Cinderella Story and Wizards of Waverly Place.
2010:
The Walt Disney Company makes its mark at the 2010 Comic-Con convention with an exciting lineup of feature films, scripted & animated series, and interactive booths providing fans with a first look at new content, experiences and merchandise.
This day's Comic-Con presentations include:
A special insider look at the upcoming TRON: Legacy with director Joe Kosinski, producers Sean Bailey and Steven Lisberger, and cast members Jeff Bridges (Kevin Flynn), Garrett Hedlund (Sam Flynn), Olivia Wilde (Quorra), Michael Sheen (Castor) and Bruce Boxleitner (Alan Bradley).
A panel discussion with the creators of Tangled, a new animated feature to hit theaters this holiday season.
The
original
Tower of Terror debuts
This Day in Disney History - THE FIRST - THE ORIGINAL
Traveling in time since 1999!