100 years Disney

Who doesn’t know the original stars of Disney? Mickey and Minnie are among the most famous cartoon characters ever. Since their first appearance in 1928 in the cartoon “Steamboat Willie”, the highly entertaining characters with round ears and colourful shoes have captured hearts all over the world, becoming icons of popular culture. For the creation of Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney received an Academy Award® in 1932 – marking the beginning of an unparalleled career.

But it all got off to a rather unspectacular start. Working with his brother Roy O. Disney in his uncle’s garage in Los Angeles, the talented artist produced short animated films. Soon afterwards, the two siblings went on to establish Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio on 16 October 1923 – now regarded as the day on which The Walt Disney Company was founded. 

In 1937, Disney used technical innovations to create “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, the first feature-length animated film. Successful family classics followed, including “Dumbo” (1941), “Bambi” (1942), “Cinderella” (1950), “The Jungle Book” (1967), “The Little Mermaid” (1989) and “The Lion King” (1994).

In this anniversary year, Disney and its fans are celebrating the much-loved characters and stories of the past 100 years. We’d like to add our own Happy Birthday!