Animator Ollie Johnston's lifelong hobby was steam trains. Starting in 1949, he built a 1" scale backyard railroad, with three 1/12th scale locomotives. His railroad was one of the inspirations for Walt Disney to build his own backyard railroad!
2005:
Members of the Board of Governors of the Carolwood Pacific Historical Society gather in Disneyland to congratulate fellow Society Governor, animator, and Disney Legend Ollie Johnston for receiving the "Walter E. Disney Railroad Preservation Award," the highest honor given by the Society.
1932:
The Mickey Mouse film Mickey's Revue is released. Pluto and Horace Horsecollar also appear. Goofy appears for the very first time - but with the name Dippy Dawg.
1939:
Ron Ziegler - who will work at Disneyland as a Jungle Cruise skipper during his college years (at the University of Southern California) and later go on to become U.S. President Nixon's press secretary - is born in Covington, Kentucky.
1950:
Actor Bruce Boxleitner, the star of Disney's 1982 Tron, is born in Elgin, Illinois.
1967:
Florida's Governor Claude R. Kirk, Jr. signs legislation enabling Walt Disney
Productions' operation of Walt Disney World. Thus the Reedy Creek Improvement
District is created. Out of this district, two cities Lake Buena Vista and Bay Lake are established. Now Florida
taxpayers will not have to spend public money on Disney construction, and the Disney company will not have to
rely on state agencies for approval of anything built. Because Disney has so many plans for the theme park, the
company decides to build it in phases. Phase One will consist of a theme park, two resort hotels called the "Tempo Bay Resort Hotel" and the "Polynesian Village Resort," and a campground. The theme park will be a larger version
of the Disneyland Park. The park and the two hotels will be situated around a large, man-made lagoon.
1989:
Episode 15 of MMC airs on Disney Channel. Today is Hall of Fame Day!
Little Anthony performs the first of a 3-day engagement as part of Disneyland's 'Blast to the Past' on the Videopolis stage.
1993:
Walter Elias Disney is inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians.
Created by the Missouri Capitol Society, Inc., the Hall of Famous Missourians occupies the 3rd floor rotunda area of the Capitol.
1994:
It is reported that David McCullough, president of the Society of American
Historians, has begun a campaign to prevent the Walt Disney Company from
building a Civil War theme park near Manassas Battlefield in Virginia. McCullough
has announced the creation of Project Historic America, a group of 30 historians and writers that will try to
persuade Disney to go elsewhere.
2000:
At Disneyland the Fantasyland Theater will now be sponsored by Nestle.
2001:
A crew of Walt Disney World chefs - from Victoria & Albert's, the Contemporary Resort, and the Grand Floridian Resort - take part
in an event called "Folktales & Fairytales" at the Mennello Museum
of American Folk Art. The event benefits the Orlando Opera, the Winter Park Public Library and the Mennello Museum.
2002:
Dinotopia, a six-hour mini-series from Hallmark Entertainment airs on The Wonderful World of Disney.
1936:
Comedy Hall of Famer and actor George Carlin - the voices of Filmore in the 2006 Cars and Zugor in the 2005 Tarzan II - is born in New York City.
1934:
Winnie-the-Bear (the real life inspiration for Winnie-the Pooh) passes
away at the London Zoo at the ripe old age of 20 (a good life span for a bear).
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2007:
Happy 75th birthday Goofy!
Aly & AJ's single "Potential Breakup Song" (from their forth-coming album Insomniatic) is released to Radio Disney.
2006:
Disney Channel debuts the Hannah Montana episode "It's a Mannequin's
World." It is the seventh episode of the new series starring Miley Cyrus.
"A house is just a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get more stuff." -George Carlin
HAPPY BIRTHDAY GOOFY!
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MAY
MAY 12
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MAY 12
THIS DAY MADE IN THE USA
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In the 1960s Ollie acquired and restored a full-size narrow-gauge Porter steam locomotive, which he named the ‘Marie E.’ - after his wife!
1915:
Animator-turned-comic book illustrator Tony Strobl is born in Cleveland, Ohio.
First hired by Disney as an "in-betweener" in December 1938, his first assignment was the cupids for the
Pastoral Symphony sequence in Fantasia. He then worked on Dumbo and Pinocchio, before being drafted
into the army during Wordl War II. After the war he entered the comics industry working for Western
Publishing. Between 1955 and the late 1970s, Strobl illustrated more Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse
comics than anyone else!
1956:
The Main Street Horseless Carriage begins operating at Disneyland.
2009:
Today is the final day of business for the Virgin Megastore at Downtown Disney,
Florida. Opened since 1997 (as part of the new West Side) it was the eleventh Virgin Megastore in the U.S.
