2008:
Entertainment news anchor Brooke Anderson announces the Best Animated Feature Film winner Ratatouille at The 65th Annual Golden Globe Awards Announcement at the Beverly Hilton in California. (Due to the on-going WGA strike, no formal ceremony takes place.)
Brazil's Adriano Bastos races to his fourth straight victory in the 15th
Walt Disney World Marathon, easily winning in 2 hours, 20 minutes,
56 seconds. John Garton of Voorhees, New Jersey, comes in second in 2:35:02, and Lance Jones of Saranac, Michigan, finished third in 2:37:57. In the women's race, St. Petersburg runner Melanie Peters
races to victory in 2:47:29. Sonja Friend-Uhl of West Palm Beach, Florida, finishes second in 2:49:25.
Other 2008 winners (over the last two days) include:
Men’s Masters: Luiz Tavares, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 2:46:58
Women’s Masters: Sherri Ellerby, Dana Point, Calif., 3:14:53
Men’s Chair: Saul Mendoza, Wimberley, Texas, 1:43:56
Women’s Chair: Jacqui Kapinowski, Point Pleasant, N.J., 2:45:05
Men’s Half: Chad Johnson, Rochester, Mich., 1:06:53
Women’s Half: Kim Pawelek, Jacksonville, Fla., 1:18:07
Men’s Half Chair: David Toellner, Reston, Va., 1:31:08
Women’s Half Chair: Jacqui Kapinowski, Point Pleasant, N.J., 1:23:43
1954:
Guitarist-vocalist-composer Trevor Rabin is born in Johannesburg, South Africa. He's
written music for such Disney films as Remember the Titans, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Race to Witch
Mountain, G-Force and The Sorcerer's Apprentice. His composition "Titans Spirit" from Remember the Titans has been
frequently featured in NBC's closing montage and credits for their Olympics coverage. Rabin also composed the
music for Epcot's Mission: SPACE. (Music fans may remember him as a member of the progressive rock group Yes
1982-1994.)
2006:
Walt Disney Pictures releases the film Glory Road. An American sports film
directed by James Gartner, Glory Road is based on a true story about the 1966 NCAA Men's
Division I Basketball Championship, in which the late Don Haskins (played by Josh Lucas) head coach of the Texas Western College led a team with an all-black starting lineup, a first in NCAA history.
1927:
Disney Legend Antonio Bertini is born in Milan, Italy. First joining Disney in 1960, he worked as a sales representative in character merchandising for the Italian marketplace. In 1978, Bertini initiated the production and marketing of 8-mm and 16-mm Disney shorts and educational films throughout Italy. Its success paved the way toward Disney's dominance in the home video market during the early 1980s. In 1987, he proposed that Disney start and operate its own book publishing division (instead of licensing it out). Business improved dramatically. After 30 years of service, Antonio Bertini retired from Disney in 1990.
1930:
The first Mickey Mouse comic strip is published in the New York Mirror and
other Randolph Hearst-owned newspapers throughout the country. The strip
(licensed by King Features Syndicate) is written by Walt Disney himself, drawn by Ub Iwerks and inked
by Win Smith. The first week or so of the strip will feature a loose adaptation of the animated short
Plane Crazy. (Later Floyd Gottfredson will take over the Mickey strip and draw it for 45 years.)
1934:
Disney's Silly Symphony cartoon The China Shop is released. Directed by
Wilfred Jackson, when the "Ye Olde China Shop" closes, the china pieces come to life and dance!
Released the same day is Shanghaied, a Mickey Mouse cartoon. Directed by
Bert Gillett, Mickey and Minnie are captured on Pete's pirate ship, but fight their way to freedom
against a whole crew of identical, bulldog roughnecks!
1938:
Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs has its New York premiere at the Radio City Music Hall. The first Disney film to ever debut at the famous theater, it will run for 5 weeks.
1939:
Disney's Donald Duck cartoon Donald's Lucky Day is released. Directed by Jack King, mail carrier Donald has to avoid a number of bad luck omens because it's Friday the 13th!
1961:
Actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus, the voice of Princess Atta in Disney's 1998 A Bug's Life, is born in New York City. She also supplied the voice of Rochelle, a racing plane in Pixar's 2013 Planes and
appeared in Gepetto, Disney's 2000 made-for-television remake of Pinocchio, playing the Blue Fairy. She is the voice
of Laurel Lightfoot, the widowed mother of Ian and Barley, in Pixar's 2020 animated release Onward. In 2020, she also co-starred in the black comedy-drama Downhill by Searchlight Pictures (the first film to be released under the studio's new name following The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of 21st Century Fox).
Louis-Dreyfus is best known for her television roles on both hit series Seinfeld and The New Adventures of Old Christine.
1963:
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color airs "Little Dog Lost."
1970:
Actor Keith Coogan, who stars in Disney's 1989 Cheetah and is the voice of Young
Tod in Disney's 1981 The Fox and the Hound, is born in Palm Springs, California.
(Movie fans may recognize him as Kenny in the 1991 comedy feature Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead.)
Keith is the grandson of actor Jackie Coogan!
Television producer, television and film writer, and author Shonda Rimes is born in Chicago, Illinois. She is best known as the showrunner—creator, head writer, and executive producer—of the ABC television medical drama Grey's Anatomy, its spin-off Private Practice, and the political thriller series Scandal.
Rhimes has also served as the executive producer of the ABC television series Off the Map, How to Get Away with Murder, and The Catch.
1993:
Disney Legend and Imagineer Ken Anderson passes away in La Canada-Flintridge, California. Often referred to as Walt Disney's "Jack of All Trades," Anderson worked as
an architect, artist, animator, storyteller and designer.
2001:
Disney's House of Mouse (narrated by comedy veteran John Cleese)
debuts on ABC-TV with the episode "The Stolen Cartoons."
House of Mouse is a series centering on a nightclub-type theater, where Mickey
Mouse himself emcees. Stars of every Disney film ever made are seated in the audience, often becoming part
of the show themselves! Wanting to shut down the House of Mouse and kick out Mickey and his crew, Pete
steals this day's cartoons! The high-energy "House of Mouse" opening title theme is written, produced, and performed by rocker Brian Setzer.
1977:
Actor Orlando Bloom - known for his role of Will Turner in all 3 of Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean feature films - is born in Kent, England.
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2007:
Johnny and the Sprites, a new half-hour musical series, debuts on Disney Channel.
Created for, produced by, and starring John Tartaglia, the show had first premiered back in 2005 as 5-minute long
episodes. This series follows Johnny T, a songwriter who moves into a house inhabited by little magical creatures called sprites. (Tartaglia was the last to play the role of Lumière in Broadway's Beauty and the Beast.)
1931:
Tony Award-winning actor, comedian, director, and drama teacher Charles Nelson Reilly is born in the Bronx, New York. He was the voice of King Midas in Disney's TV series Hercules, and the voice of Dutch Sparkle in Goof Troop. He also hosted the premiere episode of The Mouse Factory in February 1972. (Reilly was best known for his comedic roles in movies, children's television, and as a panelist on the game show Match Game.)
In February 1986, an additional
150 rooms were added to Disney
World's Golf Resort and its name
was changed to the Disney Inn.
Located near the Magic Kingdom
and just southwest of the
Polynesian Resort, today it is
known as Shades of Green - a
United States Department of
Defense-owned resort.
JANUARY 13
1966:
Actor Patrick Dempsey is born in Lewiston, Maine. Known for his role as neurosurgeon Dr. Derek Shepherd ("McDreamy") on the ABC-TV drama Grey's Anatomy, he portrayed Robert "Rob" Philip in Disney's 2007 feature Enchanted. His credits also include Touchstone Pictures' Can't Buy Me Love and Hollywood Pictures' Run. Dempsey also voiced the character Kenai in the Brother Bear sequel Brother Bear 2, replacing Joaquin Phoenix.
15
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Snow White premieres in New York
JANUARY 13
THIS DAY MADE
IN THE
USA
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First Mickey Mouse comic strip
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"I write for what I think is best for the film. In the case of "Remember the Titans", an orchestral score seemed appropriate. Given the choice, I would say I love writing orchestral scores most. Jerry Bruckheimer told me recently that "Remember the Titans" is his most licensed score, which is very flattering." -Trevor Rabin
"Ken Anderson generated a lot of those original storylines in the late 1950s before the team that went on to do the Haunted Mansion were
even on the scene. And elements of those stories work their way into the urban legends, you know the sea captain the bride, he killed her
on their wedding night all that stuff. A lot of those elements did have their basis in legitimate stories and I all the original treatments at
home. You know so I could see the progression and some of the treatments were literally only weeks apart when Ken worked on these.
And you know we never throw anything away at Imagineering, ideas never die so to speak." -Imagineer Jason Surrell
1942:
The Disney Studio delivers an animated film to the National Film Board of Canada titled All Together. Featuring Mickey Mouse and all his pals, it encourages the purchase of war bonds to finance the ongoing world war.
2011:
Pixar's Brad Lewis (co-director) and Jay Shuster (art director) preview Cars 2 at the
AutoWeek Design Forum in a dual keynote address that offers insights into the
impressive depth and creativity behind the film. Cars 2 will be released in June.
JAN
JAN
1990:
Although it's been up-and-running since December 1989, the grand opening
and official dedication of Star Tours takes place on this day at Disney-MGM. A motion simulator attraction, the ride is based on the successful Star Wars film series created by George Lucas. The queue area is inspired by Return of the Jedi, with Imperial forces invading the Ewok village on the forest moon of Endor.
2012:
The Disney Channel Original Movie Frenemies premieres on Disney Channel. The film
(featuring an ensemble cast of Bella Thorne, Zendaya, Stefanie Scott, Nick Robinson, and Mary Mouser) follows
three pairs of friends that go from friends to enemies and back again.
Beauty and the Beast 3D is released to theaters for a limited time. Playing before it is
Tangled Ever After, a short sequel to the 2010 Walt Disney Animation Studios film Tangled.
1989:
Touchstone's comedy-drama Beaches, starring Bette Midler and Barbara Hershey, and
distributed by Buena Vista Pictures, is generally released. First premiering in New York in
December 1988, the film tells the story of two friends from different backgrounds, whose friendship spans 30 years.
Directed by Garry Marshall, Beaches features the theme song "Wind Beneath My Wings" (sung by Midler) which
will later win two Grammy Awards. The cast includes John Heard, Spalding Gray, James Read, and Lainie Kazan.
2013:
The 20th anniversary Walt Disney World Marathon takes place in Florida.
Adriano Bastos, 34, of Sao Paulo, Brazil, leaps over the finish line in 2 hours, 21 minutes,
16 seconds, clinching his eighth Disney marathon title and beating out two-time reigning champ
Fredison Costa. Costa, from Piedade, Brazil, finishes 16 seconds behind Bastos. Renee High, 31, of
Virginia Beach, Virginia, wins her second consecutive title in 2:48:30, three seconds faster than
last year! A record total of more than 25,000 runners participate in the 26.2-mile race.
The Golden Globe Awards are handed out in Los Angeles, California.
Disney-Pixar's Brave is named Best Animated Feature and Daniel Day-Lewis is awarded Best Performance by an
Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama for Lincoln.
January 13
This Day in Disney History - THE FIRST - THE ORIGINAL
Traveling in time since 1999!
1982:
Actress Ruth Wilson is born in England. She portrayed Margaret Goff (the mother of writer P.L. Travers) in Disney's 2013 release Saving Mr. Banks and Rebecca Reid in the 2013 The Lone Ranger.
20
2016:
Tony Award-winning actor Brian Bedford passes away at age 80 in Santa Barbara, California. Disney fans know him best as the voice of Robin Hood for the 1973 animated feature Robin Hood.
2017:
Little Big Town (Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Philip Sweet, and Jimi
Westbrook) surprise high school students at a Disney Performing Arts workshop held
at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort Performance Hall (in Florida). Part of Give a Note
Foundation’s 2017 Music In Our Schools Tour, the superstar Country quartet share their musical experiences with
the Ohio students from Wadsworth High School.
Epcot International Festival of the Arts kicks off on this day with live performances by
Disney Broadway stars. Ashley Brown and Josh Strickland perform songs from Disney’s "Beauty and the
Beast," "Tarzan," "Mary Poppins" and "The Little Mermaid" on January 13-16 and 20-23. The Festival of the Arts will
be provided on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays through February 20.
Frozen Forever, a seasonal nighttime spectacular at Tokyo Disneyland, gives its first performance. It is presented as part of the Tokyo Disneyland special event, "Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Fantasy."
2018:
Disney World's Animal Kingdom welcomes the first hippo to be born at the park in 13 years. The baby Nile hippopotamus is born around 10 p.m. The birth is the result of a breeding between Tuma and
her chosen mate Henry, who are part of the Species Survival Plan, overseen by the Association of Zoos and
Aquariums. Because the Nile hippopotamus is considered a vulnerable species with its population declining in the wild, the birth marks an important contribution to the worldwide conservation. Guests may be able to view Tuma and her
new baby while onboard the Kilimanjaro Safaris attraction.
2019:
Brazilian native Fredison Costa (out of Kissimmee, Florida) wins the 26th annual
Walt Disney World Marathon. It is his 7th Disney World win.
The 24th Critics' Choice Awards are presented. Among the winners-
-Best Production Design: Hannah Beachler and Jay Hart – Black Panther
-Best Costume Design: Ruth E. Carter – Black Panther
-Best Visual Effects: Black Panther
2015:
The Legacy Collection: Fantasia is released as a four-disc album on Walt Disney
Records, to coincide with the 75th anniversary of Fantasia. The collection features the original recordings conducted by Leopold Stokowski and performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra, as well as the 1982 digital
re-recordings conducted by Irwin Kostal, two bonus tracks narrated by Sterling Holloway, and the previously
unreleased recording of "Clair de Lune" for a segment that was cut from the final running order.
Walt Disney Records the Legacy Collection is a compilation album series that commemorates distinct anniversaries
of Disney films and the 60th anniversary of Disneyland. The Legacy Collection: Fantasia is the 5th (of what will be 14)
in the series.
1935:
Actor and comedian Rip Taylor is born Charles Elmer Taylor Jr. in Washington, D.C. Known for his exuberance and flamboyant personality, including his habit of showering himself (and others) with confetti, his Disney credits include The Emperor's New School, an episode of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody,
and DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp.
2002:
The 28th People's Choice Awards, honoring the best in American popular culture for 2001, are held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. Among the winners:
-Favorite New TV Dramatic Series: Alias
-Favorite Motion Picture Actor: Tom Hanks
-Favorite Actor In A Dramatic Motion Picture: Tom Hanks
1976:
Actor Michael Peña is born in Chicago, Illinois. His credits include Ant-Man (2015) and its sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018), and A Wrinkle in Time (2018).
2020:
The nominees for the 92nd Academy Awards are announced. Among those nominated:
-Best Picture: Ford v Ferrari & Jojo Rabbit
-Best Supporting Actress: Scarlett Johansson – Jojo Rabbit as Rosie Betzler
-Best Adapted Screenplay: Jojo Rabbit – Taika Waititi based on the novel Caging Skies by Christine Leunens
-Best Animated Feature Film: Toy Story 4
-Best Original Score: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – John Williams
-Best Original Song: "I Can't Let You Throw Yourself Away" from Toy Story 4 – Music and Lyrics by Randy Newman &
"Into the Unknown" from Frozen II – Music and Lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
-Best Sound Editing: Ford v Ferrari – Donald Sylvester & Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – Matthew Wood and
David Acord
-Best Sound Mixing: Ford v Ferrari – Paul Massey, David Giammarco, and Steven A. Morrow
-Best Production Design: Jojo Rabbit – Production Design: Ra Vincent; Set Decoration: Nora Sopková
-Best Costume Design: Jojo Rabbit – Mayes C. Rubeo
-Best Film Editing: Ford v Ferrari – Andrew Buckland and Michael McCusker & Jojo Rabbit – Tom Eagles
-Best Visual Effects: Avengers: Endgame – Dan DeLeeuw, Matt Aitken, Russell Earl, and Dan Sudick,
The Lion King – Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones, and Elliot Newman &
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker – Roger Guyett, Neal Scanlan, Patrick Tubach, and Dominic Tuohy
Oscars will be handed out February 9, 2020.
