1998:
A second Innoventions debuts ... this time in Disneyland's
Tomorrowland. Visitors climb aboard a carousel theater (once home to
Carousel of Progress) to experience 5 different "pods" of technology. (The first
Innoventions opened in Epcot.)
Back in 1955, Walt Disney had an agreement with
the city of Anaheim that no outside buildings could be tall enough to be
visible from within Disneyland.
2006:
A special Fourth of July fireworks show is previewed at Disney World's Magic Kingdom.
1906:
Actor and singer George Sanders, the voice of Shere Khan the Tiger in Disney's 1967 classic "The Jungle Book," is born to British parents in St. Petersburg, Russia. With a career spanning over 40 years, he also played the role of gun salesman Thomas Ayerton in Disney's live-action "In Search of the Castaways" (1962). His heavy, upper-class English accent and smooth, baritone voice often led him to be cast as sophisticated but villainous characters in such films as "Rebecca," "Samson and Delilah," and "All About Eve." Fans of television's "Batman" may remember him for his role of Mr. Freeze in a 1966 two-part episode. Sanders was also cast as the Robin Hood-like figure Simon Templar in "The Saint" and crime-fighting detective Gay Laurence in "The Falcon."
Sadly Sanders grew increasingly reclusive and depressed later in life, which contributed to his death at age 65 in 1972.
1908:
Author, journalist & newspaper editor Joel Chandler Harris, famous for his collection of Uncle Remus stories, passes away in Atlanta, Georgia. His stories, based on the African-American oral storytelling tradition, were revolutionary in their use of dialect. In 1946 Disney released Song of the South - a live-action/animated feature based on his work.
1910:
Marcellite Garner, the original voice of Minnie Mouse (between 1929-1939),
is born in Redlands, California. She began her career in Disney's ink & paint department before
lending her voice to such Mickey shorts as The Barn Dance, Ye Olden Days, and Mickey's Surprise Party.
1914:
Disney composer George Bruns is born in Sandy, Oregon. Playing piano since age 6, he was hired as a musical arranger & composer at Walt Disney Studios in 1953. His work can be heard in the 1954
"Disneyland" TV series, both the 1955 "Mickey Mouse Club" and "Zorro" TV series, and in dozens of animated features including "Sleeping Beauty" and "The Aristocats." Bruns' famous "Davy Crockett" theme "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" (first recorded in 1955 and written for the telelvision series about the famous frontiersman) was co-written with lyricist Tom W. Blackburn. His "Yo Ho (A Pirates Life for Me)" co-written with Xavier Atencio, was originally used for the Disney park attraction but later in the 2003 "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie. Also a virtuoso on the tuba & trombone, Bruns played with the Firehouse Five Plus Two (a jazz band led by animator Ward Kimball & made up of Disney employees). Bruns retired from Disney in 1975 and left California, returning to his native Sandy, Oregon. Nominated for 4 Academy Awards and 2 Grammy Awards for his work at Disney, George Edward Bruns passed at age 68 in 1983. He was inducted a Disney Legend in 2001.
1930:
Midnight in a Toyshop, a Silly Symphony directed by Wilfred Jackson, is released.
1942:
Disney's Pluto short The Sleepwalker is released. Directed by Clyde Geronimi, it
features the voice of Pinto Colvig as Pluto and the music of Leigh Harline.
1957:
Disney's People & Places documentary Lapland is released along with the live-action
short film Alaskan Sled Dog. Lapland focuses on the people living in the Land of the Lapps, where the
Arctic Circle cuts through the upper tips of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia.
Tamara Scheer, Walt Disney's granddaughter, is born to Ron Miller and
Diane Disney in Los Angeles County, California.
1994:
The Lion King soundtrack hits #1 on the Billboard chart,
where it will stay for nine consecutive weeks. It contains
songs from the film written by Elton John and Tim Rice, and a score
composed by Hans Zimmer.
1947:
Disney's 1946 feature Song of the South is released in Australia.
"Watch out when you're getting all you want. Fattening hogs ain't in luck." -Joel Chandler Harris
1988:
The television special Walt Disney World 4th of July Spectacular airs.
2008:
The very first guests board the new Mark VII monorail, Red, at Disneyland’s
Tomorrowland station. The monorail features red sides, blue glass windows, and blue-lighted floors and
seat backs. A new island seating configuration (with one row of inward-facing seating at the front and rear ends of
each car) allows for a capacity of 22 passengers in the main cabins.
A surprise preview for Walt Disney World park guests of the Fourth of July fireworks
show entitled, "Disney’s Celebrate America - A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky"
takes place at the Magic Kingdom.
JULY 3
JULY 3
THIS DAY MADE
IN THE
USA
JULY
 | ||||
| ||||
Marcellite Garner born
1956:
After flying in to the Kansas City airport, Walt and Roy Disney and their wives take
a 3-hour drive in a Cadillac Sedan in order to reach Marceline by evening. After
reaching Marceline (Walt and Roy's boyhood home) and freshening up, the Disneys drive to the Santa Fe
Country Club around 10 p.m. - where they are greeted by hundreds of residents. (They will all attend a special
dedication the following day.)
2009:
At a special early morning ceremony, more than 1,000 immigrants (including 25
Cast Members) are sworn in as U.S. citizens at Disney World's Magic Kingdom. The
naturalization ceremony features keynote speaker actor Andy Garcia, performances by Voices of Liberty and
appearances by the Spirit of America Fife and Drum Corps. The group then attends a premiere of Disney's
revamped Hall of Presidents attraction (which will officially open the next day).
| ||||
1964:
The White House announces that Walt Disney will be a recipient of
the Medal of Freedom (on September 14).
Television and film director Peyton Reed is born in Raleigh, North Carolina.
His credits include Ant-Man (2015) and Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018).
"Presidents may come and presidents may go, but Uncle Remus stays put. Georgia has done a great many things for the Union, but she
has never done more than when she gave Mr. Joel Chandler Harris to American literature." -President Theodore Roosevelt
1966:
The Midget Autopia opens for the younger residents of Marceline, Missouri
following a dedication ceremony.
The dedication plaque reads:
Relocated from the Magic Kingdom of Disneyland as a gift to the children of this community from Marceline's
favorite sons Walt and Roy Disney. Accepted in appreciation July 1966 Mayor C. A. Young
1967:
Representatives of the Florida Department of Citrus and Walt Disney Productions
meet for the first time to discuss how a Walt Disney World vacation destination
can incorporate Florida citrus. (More than two years later, the Florida citrus industry will become the
first official corporate sponsor of the Magic Kingdom by signing an agreement on October 1, 1969 - two years
before WDW's grand opening.)
July 03
Joel Chandler Harris
(1848-1908)
2013:
Disney Magic, the first ship of the Disney Cruise Line, arrives in Venice, Italy. To mark
the occasion, the Disney Magic hosts a first-call ceremony. (The first-call ceremony, sometimes referred to
as a maiden call, signifies the partnership between a ship and its destination.) Constructed just outside Venice,
it is Disney Magic’s first return in the 15 years since her debut, having left Venice July 1, 1998.
The Lone Ranger, a western action film directed by Gore Verbinski and distributed by
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, is released in the U.S. The film stars Johnny Depp as
Tonto, the narrator of the events and Armie Hammer as John Reid, the Lone Ranger. It is told through Tonto's
memories of the duo's earliest efforts to subdue local villainy and bring justice to the American Old West. The Lone Ranger is produced by Walt Disney Pictures, Jerry Bruckheimer Films, Infinitum Nihil, and Blind Wink Productions.
1985:
More than 60,000 show up to watch Tinker Bell's inaugural flight over the
Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World. Originally planned as a seasonal and holiday spectacle,
the guest reaction will be so positive that Tink’s flight will turn into a nightly event.
1989:
Radio, television, film, and voice actor Jim Backus passes away at age 76 in Los
Angeles, California. Best known as the voice of nearsighted cartoon character Mr. Magoo, and for his role
of Thurston Howell III on the 1960s sitcom Gilligan's Island, Backus was involved in a few Disney projects as well.
He supplied the voice for Milton the cat in Disney's 1951 animated Plutopia, played the role of The Mayor in the
1977 Pete's Dragon, and portrayed Timothy Forsythe in the 1972 comedy Now You See Him, Now You Don't.
1996:
Touchstone Pictures releases the romantic fantasy drama Phenomenon. On his birthday,
mechanic George Malley, played by John Travolta, sees a flash of light and proceeds to exhibit extraordinary mental
abilities. He becomes a genius, even showing an ability to move objects with his mind. But after discovering he has a
massive brain tumor, George decides to spend his time with girlfriend Lace, played by Kyra Sedgwick. The cast also
includes Forest Whitaker, Robert Duvall, Jeffrey DeMunn, and Richard Kiley.
2017:
Star Wars Forces of Destiny, a 2D animated web series by Lucasfilm Animation
released through Disney's YouTube channel, premieres. Set across multiple eras of the Star Wars franchise, it is a collection of two- to three-minute shorts centering on female characters featured in previous
Star Wars installments. The voice cast inlcudes Ashley Eckstein, Felicity Jones, Vanessa Marshall, Lupita Nyong'o,
and Daisy Ridley.
1971:
Actor Benedict Wong is born in England. He portrays Wong (the sidekick and valet of Doctor Strange) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, making his first appearance in Doctor Strange (2016) and later in Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). He also supplied the voice of Bull for Disney's 2019 Lady and the Tramp.
1959:
Television writer David Shore is born in London, Ontario, Canada. Among his credits is the ABC medical drama The Good Doctor and the ABC police drama NYPD Blue.
2001:
The popular Main Street Electrical Parade officially comes to Disney California Adventure Park on this day in honor of the park's first summer (it had a soft opening the day before). The name of the show is changed from the Main Street Electrical Parade to Disney's
Electrical Parade, as Disney California Adventure has no Main Street.
2020:
Hamilton, a musical drama film that is a live stage production recording of the Broadway musical of the same name, begins to stream on Disney+. Originally intended to be released theatrically on October 15, 2021, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was moved up and released digitally worldwide on this day. Divided into two acts, the musical depicts the life and career of statesman & politician Alexander Hamilton (portrayed by Lin-Manuel Miranda). The film is edited together from three performances of Hamilton at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in Midtown Manhattan in June 2016 with the original principal Broadway cast members. Walt Disney Studios had acquired the worldwide distribution rights for the film in early 2020.
1955:
Actor, singer and theater director Jesse Corti is born in Venezuela. Best known to Disney fans for voicing LeFou (Gaston's sidekick) in Beauty and the Beast, his film credits also include Frozen
and Zootopia. His Disney television credits include The Little Mermaid, Darkwing Duck,
Gargoyles, Higglytown Heroes, and Handy Manny. (Corti is best known for playing Courfeyrac in the original Broadway show Les Misérables.)
