1996:
Christopher Robin Milne, the son of writer A.A. Milne (creator of Winnie the Pooh)
passes away at age 75 in Totnes, a country town in the South Hams district of Devon,
SW England. Immortalized as Pooh's friend in the children's stories of his father, as an adult Milne was a
bookseller (he and his wife owned and managed a bookshop) and writer. As a youngster, his father kept a home in London for his family, but they would often spend weekends at a country home called Cotchford Farm in East Sussex. That’s the location that inspired many of the locales in the books, including the Hundred Acre Wood. Milne bought Christopher Robin a teddy bear named Edward Bear from Harrods of London for his first birthday. Christopher Robin renamed the bear Winnie after a real bear he saw at the London Zoo. The boy and his bear rose to fame with the publication of A.A. Milne’s 1926 book. Fan mail poured in when people learned that there was a “real” Christopher Robin. Christopher Robin liked the Winnie the Pooh books at first, and he even enjoyed the fame. However, after a few years, those books that were so beloved to readers around the world became a burden to him. His 1976 autobiography The Enchanted Places details Christopher Robin's childhood and his sometimes poor relationship with his famous father, his nanny and his mother.
Although Christopher Robin may have resented becoming a famous little boy, he eventually realized that the stories he inspired meant so much to so many people. Because of this, he donated five of his most well-known toys (Pooh, Kanga, Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore) to the New York Public Library in 1987 so that fans could enjoy them.
2001:
The 2001 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival kicks off
six weeks of events and displays at the Disney World park.
A rare collection of photographs, books, papers and other personal items that
belonged to the real Alice In Wonderland, Alice Pleasance Liddell Hargreaves is
previewed at Sotheby's in New York. (The collection will be auctioned by Sotheby's in London on
June 6.) The archive of materials include photographs that Lewis Carroll (Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) took of
young Alice and her sisters in the mid 1800s, silver hairbrushes used by Alice, her wedding ring, and a copy of
Alice's Adventure's Under Ground that the author personally inscribed "to her whose namesake one happy
summer day" inspired his story.
The Disney Channel airs the Lizzie McGuire episode "Election" for the first time.
2004:
Disney's 2003 live-action film The Haunted Mansion
is released on DVD and VHS.
1914:
Disney Legend Betty Lou Gerson, the narrator of
Disney's 1950 classic Cinderella and the voice of
Cruella De Vil in the 1961 101 Dalmations, is born
in Chattanooga, Tennessee. (Raised in Birmingham,
Alabama, she got her start on radio in 1935, becoming a mainstay
of soap operas.) Gerson later voiced an old crone for Disney's 1964
live-action Mary Poppins and even appeared in television episodes of The Twilight Zone and The Dick Van Dyke Show.
1935:
Disney's Silly Symphony cartoon The Robber Kitten is released.
An eager young kitten, tired of being mothered at home, runs away seeking adventure.
But a scary encounter with a robber, soon sends him flying home to Mom!
1937:
Actor & author George Takei, the voice of First Ancestor in Disney's Mulan and Mulan II,
is born in Los Angeles, California. He also supplied the voice of Sensei, a recurring Kim Possible character, General Lok Durd in an episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and various characters for Handy Manny, Phineas and Ferb, and Elena of Avalor. (Fans of the original Star Trek series know him best as Mr. Sulu.)
1946:
Disney's 10th feature film Make Mine Music premieres in New York. It will have
its national release the following August. The film's 10 animated segments include "A Rustic Ballad," a tale of feuding hillbillies; "A Tone Poem," a mood piece set on a blue bayou; "A Jazz Interlude," about a booby-soxer who goes jitterbugging with her date at the malt shop; "A Ballad In Blue," where rain and somber landscapes illustrate
the loss of a lover; "A Musical Recitation," which tells the famous tale of Casey at the Bat; "Ballade Ballet," where
ballet dancers perform in silhouette; "A Fairy Tale with Music," which tells the story of Peter and the Wolf; "After
You've Gone," in which 4 musical instruments chase through a surreal landscape; "A Love Story," about the romance between a fedora and a bonnet, and "Opera Pathetique," the story of Willie the Whale.
1959:
Actor Clint Howard, the voice of Roo in Disney's 1968 classic Winnie the Pooh and
the Blustery Day, is born in Burbank, California. Younger brother of actor-turned-director
Ron Howard, Clint was also the voice of the elephant Hathi's son Hathi, Jr. in the 1967 The Jungle Book.
In 1970, Clint and big brother Ron appeared together in the Disney live-action feature The Wild Country.
(Film and TV fans may recognize Clint as Whobris in How the Grinch Stole Christmas and by his appearances in
My Dog Skip, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, HBO's From the Earth to the Moon, and of course
as the little boy on the 1967-1969 TV series Gentle Ben.)
2000:
Al Weiss (President of Walt Disney World) and Michael Capellas (CEO of Compaq) announce plans for Disney World's newest Epcot attraction, Mission: SPACE (on the site once occupied by Horizons).
Singer Robert Plant appears at Disney's Theatre of the Stars (located at Disney-MGM) to leave his handprints outside the theatre.
2002:
After 7 months at sea as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, U.S.
military personnel aboard the USS Shreveport are welcomed to their home port in
Norfolk, Virginia, by Mickey Mouse & Disneyland Resort representatives. Cast Members
"adopted" the Shreveport as part of the Resort's Operation Uplift program through which Disney employees send messages of support & thanks to United States servicemen and women on active duty outside the U.S.
Disney Channel's Lizzie McGuire wins Favorite TV Show at the 15th Annual
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards.
2006:
Mickey Mouse unveils a new Creativity Center designed by Disney Imagineers at the Roy W. Roberts, II - Watts/Willowbrook Boys & Girls Club in Los Angeles (as part of Disney's continuing support of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America). The festivities also
include the interactive Disney Channel stage show "Imagineer That!" and a special guest appearance by Kyle
Massey of Disney Channel's original comedy series That's So Raven.
1991:
The Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant opens in the Disney-MGM Studios (today
known as Disney's Hollywood Studios). Like a night at the old drive-ins, servers at the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater restaurant bring food to vintage '50s "convertible" tables as guests watch '50s and '60s sci-fi and monster flicks on a big screen. The restaurant serves traditional cuisine of the United States, with popcorn functioning as a complimentary appetizer. Located on Commissary Lane, it was created with a strong emphasis on theme, in emulation of the 50's Prime Time Café, which had opened two years earlier. The entrance is made to look like a box office, and guests walk from there along a tall fence to the dining room, where they sit at formica countertops in booths made to look like convertible cars. Some of the servers at the Sci-Fi Dine-In wear roller skates, acting as carhops, while others improvise characters such as a police officer ostensibly in search of "people who have sneaked into the theater without paying." By 1992, The Sci-Fi Dine-In will become the most popular restaurant in the park, serving more than 2,200 people per day at peak periods.
Disney Legend Salvador Camarata (who played the trumpet) was given his nickname "Tutti" - in his younger years - by bandleader
Jimmy Dorsey. Among his Disney accomplishments - producing Annette Funicello's records.
2007:
The first of 4 Disney Grad Nites (a high school senior-only celebration that takes
place annually) kicks off at Disney World's Magic Kingdom.
Earth Day celebrations begin at Disney's Animal Kingdom. The park's
"Party for the Planet" event is organized by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
(Earth Day is April 22.)
"Walt challenged and inspired you by talking to you. He wouldn’t give you detailed instructions about what he wanted you to do. Instead, he would simply point you in the direction he wanted you to go, then leave the rest up to you. He would get you started on the creative process and inspire you with confidence. As a result, you would go far beyond what you thought you were capable of doing." -Tutti Camarata
APRIL 20
Today is Volunteer Recognition Day
APRIL 20
THIS DAY MADE IN THE USA
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"Cruella was such an exaggerated character and that's exactly how I played her. She was a lot of fun, but I never
expected her to become the cult figure that she became." -Gerson
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Make Mine Music premieres
The 8,500-acre Disney Wilderness Preserve, located approximately 12 miles southeast of the Walt Disney World Resort property includes an important section of the Reedy Creek Swamp where it enters Lake Hatchineha. Formerly the Walker Ranch, the property was purchased by WDW in an innovative partnership among government, environmental organizations and the private sector to help compensate for the impacts of development on wetlands.
1945:
Disney's Goofy short African Diary, directed by Jack Kinney, is released. Goofy (voiced by
Pinto Colvig) narrates his own quest to Africa accompanied by various tour guides.
2010:
Pixar Animation Studios opens a new studio in the downtown area of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, named the Glenn McQueen Pixar Animation Center (after Canadian-born Pixar animator Glenn McQueen who passed away in 2002). The studio
will produce shorts and TV-specials based on characters from Pixar's feature films. Also known as Pixar Canada,
the studio will close in October 2013.
1992:
The new animated TV series Goof Troop previews on the Disney Channel. The show focuses on the relationship between single father Goofy and his son Max, as well as their neighbors Pete and his family. Featuring the voices of Bill Farmer (as Goofy) and Dana Hill (as his son Max), the series will start its regular run on September 5 on The Disney Afternoon (a two-hour television programming block) and later on Saturday mornings on ABC-TV.
The all-star voice cast also includes Frank Welker (as both Waffles the cat & Chainsaw the dog), Jim Cummings (as Pete Sr.), April Winchell (as Pete's wife Peg), Rob Paulsen (as Pete Jr.) and Nancy Cartwright (as Pistol Pete).
1976:
Actor Joey Lawrence is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. First known for his roles in the
TV series Gimme a Break!, he later appeared on the sitcom Blossom (although airing on NBC, co-produced by Touchstone Television and distributed by Buena Vista Television). His Disney voice credits include Oliver & Company as Oliver, A Goofy Movie as Chad, Recess as Franklin, and The Emperor's New School as Dirk. In 1999 he starred (along with his brother Andrew) in the Disney Channel Original Movie Horse Sense and years later the sequel Jumping Ship. Lawrence appeared on ABC's Dancing With the Stars in 2006 (in which he placed third in the competition) and co-starred in the ABC Family original television series Melissa & Joey (2010-2015).
1999:
Pixar's 1998 animated A Bug's Life is released on VHS and DVD for the first time.
2012:
The nature documentary Chimpanzee, released by Disneynature and directed by
Alastair Fothergill and Mark Linfield, is released to U.S. theaters. About a young common
chimpanzee named Oscar who finds himself alone in the African forests until he is adopted by another chimpanzee
who raises him like his own, the film is narrated by Tim Allen. Similar to past Disneynature releases, a portion of
the film's opening week proceeds will be donated to the Jane Goodall Institute for the "See Chimpanzee, Save
Chimpanzees" program to help protect chimpanzees and their habitats.
1979:
Actress Ruth Connell is born in Scotland. She voiced the character of Merida in a 2015 episode of Sofia the First and in the video game Disney Infinity 3.0.
1964:
Actor and film director Andy Serkis is born in England. He portrayed Ulysses Klaue in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) and Black Panther (2018). Serkis also provided the voice for Supreme Leader Snoke in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017), and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019).
1936:
Actress Lisa Davis is born in London, England. She provided the voice of Anita Radcliffe in One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961) and Woody Woodpecker in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988).
1947:
Björn Nils Olof Skifs, a singer, songwriter, actor, and screenwriter, is born in Vansbro, Dalarna, Sweden. As the lead singer of Blue Swede, the band had a No. 1 hit on Billboard Hot 100 in 1974 with a cover of the song "Hooked on a Feeling" (written by Mark James & originally recorded by B.J. Thomas). Blue Swede's version can be heard in the 2014 Guardians of the Galaxy.
1986:
"Mr. Boogedy," a family film directed by Oz Scott and written by Michael Janover, airs as an episode of "The Disney Sunday Movie." Developed as a television pilot, the film tells the story of the Davis family as they move to a new home in the New England city of Lucifer Falls, which they soon find to be haunted by ghosts from the colonial period.
The cast includes:
Richard Masur as Carlton Davis
Mimi Kennedy as Eloise Davis
Benjamin Gregory as Reginald Ernest "R.E." Davis
David Faustino as Corwin Davis
Kristy Swanson as Jennifer Davis
Howard Witt as William Hanover / Mr. Boogedy
John Astin as Neil Witherspoon
Katherine Kelly Lang as Widow Marion
Jaimie McEnnan as Jonathan
Kedric Wolfe as Satan
A sequel titled "Bride of Boogedy" will air in 1987.
