This Day in Disney History: MAR 30

2004:

Fess Parker (known for his Disney role of Davy Crockett and later Daniel Boone) appears in Washington, D.C., to donate one of his original caps as well as a buckskin ensemble to the

Smithsonian National Museum.

Disney's Brother Bear is released on DVD and video.

The Orlando Sentinel runs an article in which Walt Disney World president Al Weiss gives some insight into how the parks

are maintained.

1822:

The unified government of Florida is established with William P. Duval from Kentucky as its first Territorial Governor. (Florida had becomes a U.S. territory in 1821 after the U.S. acquired it from Spain as part of a deal to cancel $5 million in debts owed by the Spanish.)

1838:

Mary Richardson (Walt Disney's paternal grandmother) is born in Ireland.

1889:

Character actor Herman Bing - the voice of the Ringmaster in Disney's 1941 Dumbo - is born in Germany.

1913:

Disney animator Marc Davis - one of Walt's "Nine Old Men" - is born in Bakersfield, California. He will go on to help create such memorable Disney characters as Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Tinker Bell, and Cruella de Vil. He will also play a key role in the development of many theme park attractions - such as Pirates of the Caribbean.

1930:

Actor John Astin - Bill Andrews in Disney's 1976 Freaky Friday - is

born in Baltimore, Maryland. (TV fans will recognize him from the

1960's classic comedy series The Addams Family.)

1955:

Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea wins two Oscars at the 27th Academy Awards (held at the RKO Pantages Theater in Los Angeles). John Meehan and Emile Kuri win Oscars for Art Direction, Color, and Walt Disney Productions wins for Special Effects. Disney's True Life Adventure The Vanishing Prairie is also awarded an Academy Award for Documentary, Feature.

1968:

Two children come across the lifeless body of a homeless man in an abandoned tenement building on East 10th Street in New York City. Because no one identifies the body, the deceased is buried in an unmarked pauper's grave

on Hart Island.

(A fingerprint check in 1969 will identify the corpse as Bobby Driscoll, 31, the voice of Disney's Peter Pan. It is also discovered that the cause of death is a heart attack. His long history of alcohol and drug abuse was a strong contributing factor to his sad and early end.)

Singer Celine Dion, who in 1992 released the Disney duet with Peabo Bryson "Beauty and the Beast" (which won a Grammy and an Academy Award) is born in Quebec, Canada.

1992:

Canadian singer Celine Dion celebrates her 24th birthday by singing with

Peabo Bryson on their Oscar-nominated theme song "Beauty and the

Beast," at the 64th Annual Academy Awards (held at the Dorothy Chandler

Pavilion). The tune (written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman) later

wins Best Song (beating out "Belle" and "Be Our Guest" also both by

Ashman & Menken). The animated feature gains an Oscar for Original

Score too (also composed by Menken). Although it doesn't win, Beauty and the Beast is nominated for Best Picture ... a first for an animated feature.

2003:

Disney's first Inline Marathon (a 26.2-mile event) takes place at Walt Disney World. The event, created by Disney Sports Attractions in conjunction with International Inline Skating Association and National Skate Patrol, winds through the theme parks and the resort areas.

2006:

The Disneyland Resort 50th anniversary celebration takes to the skies over Tucson, Arizona with a 100-foot tall, Mickey Mouse-shaped hot air balloon dubbed “The Happiest Balloon On Earth”. With golden ears high atop its head, the Mickey balloon will travel throughout the western United States and Canada during an 11-week tour.

MARCH 30

Get your Disney tickets at Maple Leaf Tickets!

2007:

Disney's newest animated feature Meet the Robinsons, featuring the voices of Tom Selleck, Laurie Metcalf, Angela Bassett, Nicole Sullivan, and Adam West, is released.

On the same day, Steven Anderson, director of Meet the Robinsons appears at Animation Gallery at Disney-MGM Studios to sign his new book "The Art of Meet the Robinsons."

The late Roger Broggie, Walt Disney's original Imagineer, is honored with a window on Disneyland's Main Street. A creative mechanical engineer, Broggie's genius touched many attractions including the Santa Fe & Disneyland Railroad, the Disneyland Monorail, and the Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland. His window is located on the east side of Main Street USA above the Magic Shop.

2000:

Actress Heather Headley debuts as Aida in Disney's Broadway show Aida.

Animator Marc Davis

was employed at

Walt Disney Productions from December 2, 1935 until his retirement in 1978!