2006:
Josh Eberly, 25, of Rochester, Michigan, wins the 2006 Walt Disney
World Half Marathon in 1 hour, 8 minutes, 12 seconds. The Women’s Half is
won by Melissa White also of Rochester, Michigan, with a time of 1:18:34!
1931:
Disney's Mickey Mouse cartoon The Birthday Party, featuring the
voices of Walt Disney as Mickey and Marcellite Garner as Minnie, is
released. Virtually all of the early supporting Disney characters make an appearance at a
surprise party for Mickey.
1933:
The first issue of the magazine Topolino, featuring Mickey Mouse,
is published in Italy. Topolino means "little mouse."
Disney's Mickey Mouse cartoon Building A Building is released. This short will be Mickey's second Academy Award nomination.
1944:
Disney's short The Pelican and the Snipe (originally to be included in
the feature The Three Caballeros) is released. Monte, a pelican who flies in his sleep, has to rescue his friend Vidi, a snipe, from a wartime bombing raid. The short is narrated by Sterling Holloway.
1948:
Singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins (whose CD Return to Pooh Corner was certified
gold in 1994 and nominated for a Grammy) is born in Everett, Washington. In 2000,
Loggins contributed to The Tigger Movie soundtrack with his song "Your Heart Will Lead You Home," and
appeared on the television special Disneyland 2000: 45 Years of Magic. The 2009 direct-to-DVD film Tigger and
Pooh and A Musical Too features Loggins' song "Underneath the Same Sky." His CD All Join In was
released on Walt Disney Records in 2010. (Best known for a number of soft rock, adult contemporary, and movie
soundtrack hit singles, Loggins was originally a part of the duo Loggins and Messina.)
1962:
Actress Hallie Todd, Jo McGuire on Disney Channel's Lizzie
McGuire, is born in Los Angeles, California.
The NBC-TV series Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color
airs part 1 of "The Silver Skates."
1976:
The Disney barbershop harmony group, The Dapper Dans appear
on the TV variety series Tony Orlando and Dawn.
1979:
The Wonderful World of Disney airs part 1 of "Donovan's Kid,"
starring Darren McGavin, Mickey Rooney and Shelley Fabares.
1992:
Voyage of The Little Mermaid, a multi-media presentation, opens at the Disney-MGM Studios in Florida (replacing Here Come the Muppets). Voyage of The Little Mermaid is a 17-minute show using a unique combination of special effects, film clips, live performances and innovative puppetry. Taking part in the opening ceremony are Walt Disney World Ambassador Dawn Brogan and Chief of Walt Disney Attractions Dick Nunis.
2001:
Chris Teague, a 31-year-old running shoe salesman from
Massachusetts, wins the Walt Disney World Marathon in 2 hours, 26 minutes, 38
seconds. The course proceeded through Animal Kingdom, Disney's Wild World of Sports, MGM Studios,
Disney's BoardWalk Resort and back to Epcot for the finish. Other winners on this day include:
Women’s Overall: Ilda A.Santos, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 2:46:40
Men’s Masters: David Collins, Boca Raton, Fla., 2:41:03
Women’s Masters: Ericz A.Szilagyi, Naples, Fla., 3:13:50
Men’s Chair: Saul Mendoza, Warm Springs, Ga., 1:51:04
Women’s Chair: Katherine Hunter, Orlando, Fla., 3:06:22
Men’s Half: Ronnie P. Holassie, Miami, Fla., 1:09:49
Women’s Half: Kim Pawelek, Jacksonville, Fla., 1:16:46
Men’s Half Chair: Joseph Dowling, Old Greenwich, Conn., 1:16:19
Women’s Half Chair: Shannon Schaffer, Orlando, Fla., 1:47:20
Totally Hoops, a Disney Channel reality series, debuts. It tracks the experiences of eleven girls on the Dayton, Ohio Lady Hoopstars, a nationally acclaimed 14-and-under AAU basketball team. (It will run for 18 episodes.)
1942:
T.W. Smith, Jr., the owner of the Sun Rubber Company, and his designer Dietrich
Rempel introduce a protective Mickey Mouse gas mask for children. It has been one month
since the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and fears of saboteurs and submarines attacks on the U.S. are high. A
critical need exists to protect the civilian population, especially children, from gas attacks. The design of the Mickey
Mouse Gas Mask is presented to Major General William N. Porter, Chief of the Chemical Warfare Service. Upon
approval, Sun Rubber produces sample masks for review. Other comic book character designs are to follow,
depending on the success of the Mickey Mouse mask.
2007:
Brazilian Adriano Bastos wins his fourth Walt Disney World Marathon title, becoming
the first runner ever in the event's 14-year history to win four races and sweep three in
a row! Bastos, 28, of Sao Paulo posts a time of 2:19:24, nearly 13 minutes faster than his closest competitor.
In the women's field, Gabriela Trana of Costa Rica, running her first marathon ever, wins with a time of 2:57:03 just ahead of Christa Benton of St. Petersburg, Florida.
Other 2007 winners (over the last two days) include
Men’s Masters: Stuart McLay, Santa Tecla, El Salvador, 2:41:20
Women’s Masters: Brenda Wilson, Stuart, Fla., 3:06:14
Men’s Chair: Renzo Martinez, Boca Raton, Fla., 2:24:34
Women’s Chair: Kristen Messer, Austin, Texas, 4:23:21
Men’s Half: Jarrod Shoemaker, Sudbury, Mass., 1:10:29
Women’s Half: Melissa White, Rochester, Mich., 1:15:43
Men’s Half Chair: Gary Baker, Indianapolis, Ind., 1:12:36
The Hannah Montana episode "We Are Family: Now Get Me Some Water!"
airs for the first time on Disney Channel.
In the early 1950's, Walt Disney hired Harrison "Buzz" Price (a consultant from Stanford Research who would later become a Disney Legend) to find a major piece of land in Southern California ... large enough to build an amusement park.
JANUARY 7
2008:
called Disney's Hollywood Studios.
The 13th Critics' Choice Awards are presented:
Ratatouille wins Best Animated Feature
Enchanted wins Best Family Film
1800:
Millard Fillmore, the thirteenth United States President, is born in a log cabin in
Summerhill, New York. He is the second Vice President to assume the presidency upon the death of a sitting president (succeeding Zachary Taylor). A fictional character named Millard Fillmore appears in Disney's animated
American Dragon: Jake Long. Visit Fillmore and all the U.S. Chief Executives at Disney World's The Hall of Presidents.
1938:
Disney's first full length animated feature Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is released in Brazil.
Voyage of The Little Mermaid debuts
JANUARY 07
THIS DAY MADE
IN THE
USA
2009:
The 35th People's Choice Awards, honoring the best in popular culture for 2008, is
held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. Disney/Pixar's WALL-E
wins Favorite Family Movie (beating out Walt Disney Pictures' The Chronicles of
Narnia: Prince Caspian and DreamWorks' Kung Fu Panda.).
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"Recession doesn't deserve the right to exist. There are just too many things to be done in science and engineering to be bogged down by temporary economic dislocations." -Walt Disney
"Nothing brings out the lower traits of human nature like office-seeking. Men of good character and impulses are betrayed by it into all sorts of meanness." -Millard Fillmore
2010:
in Burbank, California. She performs her new single "Friday, I’ll Be Over You."
1996:
The 3rd Annual Walt Disney World Marathon (presented by HealthSouth) kicks off with
7,500 celebrities and amateur runners on a 26.2-mile course through three theme parks, Blizzard Beach and multiple resorts. Miguel Upegui of Colombia wins the men's overall (at 2:23:27) and Lyubou Klochko of the Ukraine wins the women's overall (at 2:45:12). Other winners on this day include:
Men’s Masters: Nick Rose, Bristol, England, 2:33:50
Women’s Masters: Marina Jones, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., 2:54:52
Men’s Chair: Scot Hollonbeck, Smyrna, Ga., 1:46:36
Women’s Chair: Christina Pate, Apopka, Fla., 2:45:37
1964:
Actor, producer and director Nicolas Cage is born Nicolas Coppola in Long Beach,
California. His Disney credits include the role of Benjamin Gates in both the 2004 National Treasure & the 2007
follow-up National Treasure: Book of Secrets, and Balthazar Blake in the 2010 The Sorcerer's Apprentice. He also
played Jake Preston in Touchstone's 1990 Fire Birds, Dr. Stanley Goodspeed in the 1996 Hollywood Pictures film The Rock, Cameron Poe in Touchstone's 1997 Con Air, and Randall "Memphis" Raines in the 2000 Touchstone Pictures film Gone in 60 Seconds. Cage voiced Speckles, the cyber intelligent star-nosed mole, in Disney's 2009 family
adventure comedy G-Force.
1943:
The Spirit of '43, an animated World War II propaganda film created by Walt Disney Studios, is released to the US Treasury Department. Starring Donald Duck, the film encourages patriotic Americans to file and pay their income taxes faithfully every 3 months in order to help the war effort.
1994:
Touchstone Pictures releases the fantasy comedy film Cabin Boy, directed by
Adam Resnick and produced by Tim Burton. Comedian Chris Elliott plays a snobby and arrogant "fancy
lad" school boy named Nathaniel Mayweather, who mistakenly boards the fishing ship The Filthy Whore instead
of the Queen Catherine, a luxury cruise liner. Elliott co-wrote the film with Resnick (both worked for Late Night with David Letterman in the 1980s). The cast includes Andy Richter, David Letterman (although he is credited as Earl Hofert), Mike Starr, the voice of Jim Cummings, Brian Doyle-Murray, Bob Elliott (Chris Elliott's dad), and Ricki Lake.
The comedy film The Air Up There, co-produced by Disney's Hollywood Pictures and
distributed by Buena Vista Pictures, is released to theaters. Kevin Bacon plays an assistant
coach and onetime basketball college star, who tries to recruit a 6-foot-10 player from Africa for his lackluster team.
2011:
The plaque and key exchange for the Disney Dream takes place, commemorating the ship’s inaugural call on Port Canaveral in an official maritime ceremony. Newly elected
Florida Governor Rick Scott, along with other local officials participate in the event with Disney Dream Captain Tom Forberg and Disney Cruise Line President Karl Holz. The ship’s maiden voyage will take place January 26.
1908:
Composer Eliot Daniel is born in Massachusetts. Joining the Disney Studios after World
War II, his credits included Song of the South, Make Mine Music, Fun and Fancy Free, Melody Time, and So
Dear to My Heart, for which he wrote the Oscar-nominated song, "Lavender Blue." Daniel also composed the
I Love Lucy theme song, probably one of the most recognizable pieces in television history.
1923:
Trumpeter and bandleader LeRoy Charles Fisher is born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In the 1970s, he could be heard and seen on Main Street at Walt Disney World, playing Dixieland Jazz. (He later became President of the American Federation of Musicians of Central Florida. For his eightieth birthday, Orlando Mayor, Glenda Hood, declared January 7, 2003, as LeRoy Fisher Day, for his work through the Gift of Music Foundation.)
JAN
JAN
2012:
At Disneyland park, Jolly Holiday Bakery Café officially open its doors. The new bakery,
located at the top of Main Street, U.S.A., features familiar bakery and coffee items in addition to a new menu of
sandwiches and salads.
Down in Walt Disney World, 32-year-old Jose de Morias from Sao Paulo, Brazil, finishes first in the Disney Half Marathon. He completes the 13.1-mile course in 1 hour, 10 minutes, 15 seconds.
Rosa Chacha, 29, of Quito, Ecuador, is the top women’s finisher in 1:16:43.
8
14
3
January 07
This Day in Disney History - THE FIRST - THE ORIGINAL
Traveling in time since 1999!
2015:
The 2015 People's Choice Awards are handed out in Los Angeles. Disney's live-action
Maleficent wins both Favorite Movie and Favorite Family Movie.
Deconstruction of the Sorcerer's Hat begins at Disney's Hollywood Studios. An icon of the Florida park, it first debuted in 2001 as part of the 100 Years of Magic celebration. Used as a venue for pin trading and sales, as well as the backdrop to many special events and shows, the Sorcerer's Hat will be completely removed by
February 25.
Actor Rod Taylor, who appeared in more than 50 feature films, including The Time Machine (1960), The Birds (1963), and Inglourious Basterds (2009), passes away at age 84 (4 days short of his 85th birthday) in Beverly Hills, California. He voiced Pongo, Roger's pet, Perdita's mate, and the father of 15 of the 99 puppies, in Disney's 1961 animated One Hundred and One Dalmatians.
For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration temporarily opens at the Crown Jewel Theater in Disney California Adventure (home of Muppet*Vision 3D). A musical show based on Disney's 2013 animated film Frozen and the songs from the film, it will run through April 2016.
2018:
Nick Hilton, from Tucson, Arizona, wins the 25th Annual Disney World Marathon -
crossing the finish line in 2 hours, 17 minutes, 52 seconds. He is the first American man to win
Central Florida’s largest marathon since Matthew Dobson in 2004.
Chantons La Reine des Neiges has its final performance at Disneyland Paris.
It was a musical show based on Disney's 2013 animated film Frozen.
The 75th Golden Globe Awards, honoring film and American television of 2017, is broadcast live from The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California.
Disney's Coco wins Best Animated Feature Film.
2016:
Stage, film and television actor Richard Libertini passes at age 82 in Venice, California.
Known for playing character roles and his ability to speak in numerous accents, his Disney credits included a 2010 episode of Sonny with a Chance, and the 1990 animated DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp. Movie fans
will remember him for his roles in Popeye (1980), All of Me (1984), Fletch (1985), Fletch Lives (1989), Awakenings (1990), Lethal Weapon 4 (1998), and Dolphin Tale (2011).
1971:
Actor Jeremy Renner is born in Modesto, California. He played Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Thor (2011), The Avengers (2012), Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016) and Avengers: Endgame (2019).
1983:
Actor Brett Dalton is born in San Jose, California. Best known for playing Grant Ward and Hive
in ABC's series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., he also supplied the voice for Talon in a 2015 episode of Jake and the
Never Land Pirates.
1982:
Actress Ruth Negga is born in Ethiopia. She played the recurring role of Raina
on ABC-TV's action series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
2000:
Actor Marcus Scribner, best known for starring as Andre Johnson Jr. on the ABC sitcom
Black-ish, is born in Los Angles, California. He also supplied the voice of Buck, Arlo's older brother,
in The Good Dinosaur (2015).
1969:
Animator and comic artist Earl Duvall passes away in California. Starting as a layout artist and later as a member of the story department at Walt Disney Productions, he worked on a few shorts before becoming a cartoonist on the Mickey Mouse daily strip and the Silly Symphony Sunday comic strip. He left Disney in 1933 to join Warner Bros. Cartoons.
2013:
The final episode of Motorcity, an animated television series created and directed by Chris Prynoski and produced by Titmouse, Inc. & Disney Television Animation, airs for the last time on Disney XD. First premiering in April 2012, the series has been cancelled after just one season.
2021:
In light of yesterday's events that took place at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Bob Chapek, CEO of The Walt Disney Company, issues a statement via the company’s Twitter account:
"Yesterday was a sad and tragic day for our country, one unlike any other in our history. What we saw was an egregious and inexcusable assault on America’s most revered institution and our democracy. Thankfully, the democratic process that we hold dear ultimately prevailed. Now, more than ever, it is imperative that we come together as one nation – united by our shared values, including decency, kindness and respect for others. We should seize this opportunity, and move ahead with optimism and hope for a better, brighter future for all of America."
Professional baseball pitcher, coach, and manager Tommy Lasorda passes away at age 93 in California. Best known for managing the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball from 1976 through 1996, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a manager in 1997. Disney's Vero Beach Resort honored Lasorda by officially naming the resort's popular recreation lawn "Lasorda Field" during a special ceremony on February 18, 2008. During the more than six decades in which the Dodgers called Vero Beach, Florida, their spring home, Lasorda had become one of the most recognized figures in baseball.
1977:
Actor, director, and stand-up comedian Dustin Diamond, best known for his television role of nerdy Samuel "Screech" Powers throughout the Saved by the Bell franchise, is born in San Jose, California. Saved by the Bell started out as Good Morning, Miss Bliss in 1988 on the Disney Channel. After one season, the sitcom moved to NBC where it aired until 1993. Diamond continued to play the role of Screech on two spin-off series as well: Saved by the Bell: The College Years (1993–1994) and Saved by the Bell: The New Class (1993–2000).
