The Walt Disney Company was founded in 1923, and found much success under Walt Disney's leadership through his death in 1966.
| Year |
Notable Business Events |
Notable Theatrical Releases
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Notable Theme Park Openings |
Other Premieres |
| 1923 |
- Walt Disney signed a contract with M.J. Winkler to produce a series of Alice Comedies, beginning the Disney company under its original name Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, with brothers Walt and Roy Disney, as equal partners.
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- First Alice comedy, Alice's Day at Sea, released.
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| 1926 |
- Company changed name to The Walt Disney Studio shortly after moving into the new studio on Hyperion Avenue in the Silver Lake district.
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| 1927 |
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- Oswald the Lucky Rabbit debuts
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| 1928 |
- Walt loses the Oswald series contract
- Walt and Roy come up with Mickey and Minnie mouse
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- Mickey Mouse debuts in Plane Crazy
- Steamboat Willie (the first synchronized sound cartoon)
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| 1929 |
- On December 16, the original partnership formed in 1923 is replaced by Walt Disney Productions, Ltd. Three other companies, Walt Disney Enterprises, Disney Film Recording Company, and Liled Realty and Investment Company, are also formed.
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- The Skeleton Dance (the first Silly Symphonies cartoon)
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| 1930 |
- Distribution moved to Columbia Pictures
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| 1932 |
- Distribution moved from Columbia Pictures to United Artists
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- Flowers and Trees (the first Technicolor cartoon)
- Mickey's Revue (which features the premiere of Goofy, originally called "Dippy Dawg")
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| 1933 |
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| 1934 |
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- The Wise Little Hen (which features the premiere of Donald Duck)
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| 1936 |
- Distribution moved from United Artists to RKO Radio Pictures.
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| 1937 |
- Walt Disney's first animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released
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- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
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| 1938 |
- On September 29, Walt Disney Enterprises, Disney Film Recording Company, and Liled Realty and Investment Company and Walt Disney Productions, Ltd. are merged to formed Walt Disney Productions.
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| 1940 |
- Studio moves to Burbank, California
- Company goes public
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| 1941 |
- A bitter animators' strike occurs
- The studio begins making morale-boosting propaganda films for the United States during World War II
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| 1942 |
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| 1943 |
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| 1944 |
- The company is short on money; a theatrical re-release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs generates much-needed revenue and begins a reissue pattern for the animated feature films.
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| 1945 |
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| 1946 |
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- Make Mine Music
- Song of the South
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| 1947 |
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| 1948 |
- The True-Life Adventures nature film series begins; it lasts until 1960.
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| 1949 |
- The studio begins production on its first all-live action feature, Treasure Island
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- The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
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| 1950 |
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- Cinderella
- Treasure Island (Disney's first live-action film)
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| 1951 |
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| 1952 |
- WED Enterprises is formed to design what would become Disneyland.
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| 1953 |
- Retlaw Enterprises is formed to control the rights to "Disney". It will later own and operate several attractions inside Disneyland, including the Disneyland Monorail System and the Disneyland Railroad.
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| 1954 |
- October 27: Beginning of the Disneyland TV program on ABC.
- The studio ends its distribution deal with RKO Radio Pictures and founds Buena Vista Film Distribution Company, Inc. to distribute its feature films.
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- 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
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- Walt Disney anthology television series
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| 1955 |
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- Disneyland opens in Anaheim, California
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| 1957 |
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| 1959 |
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- Sleeping Beauty
- The Shaggy Dog
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| 1960 |
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- Pollyanna
- Swiss Family Robinson
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| 1961 |
- The studio purchases the film rights to A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh books, which are a huge source of revenue (as well as litigation issues) to this day.
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- One Hundred and One Dalmatians
- The Absent-Minded Professor
- The Parent Trap
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| 1963 |
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| 1964 |
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- Mary Poppins (the first Disney film to receive a Best Picture Academy Award nomination)
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| 1965 |
- Disney News Begins Publication
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| 1966 |
- September: Walt Disney is diagnosed with lung cancer; died on December 15.
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- Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree
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