2004:
The Disneyland Monorail System is re-dedicated and honored for its
achievement in the world of modern transportation on its 45th anniversary!
2005:
Disney's Tarzan II is released to DVD and VHS. The sequel features the
voices of Harrison Chad (as Tarzan), George Carlin (as Zugor), Brad Garrett
(as Uto), Ron Perlman (as Kago), Estelle Harris (as Mama Gunda),
and Glenn Close (as Kala).
Singer-actress Robie Lester, the singing voice behind Eva Gabor in Disney's The Aristocats and The Rescuers, passes away at age 75 in Burbank, California. Lester also
helped teach millions of children how to read beginning in 1965 as the “Disneyland Story Reader,” on the record
label's 7-inch book and records sets. She also sang the title theme for Disney's 1964 The Three Lives of Thomasina.
(TV fans may recognize her voice as Jessica in the holiday special Santa Claus is Comin' to Town.)
1895:
Cliff Edwards, the voice of both Jiminy Cricket in Pinocchio
and Jim Crow in Dumbo, is born in Hannibal, Missouri. (Although the absence of any official records leave some historians to believe the date and place might be incorrect.) Also known as "Ukelele Ike," Edwards enjoyed considerable popularity in the 1920s and early 1930s - specializing in jazzy renditions of pop standards and novelty tunes. In the 1950s and early 1960s, Edwards made a number of appearances on the Mickey Mouse Club, in addition to reprising his Jiminy Cricket voice for various Disney shorts and the Disney Christmas special, From All of Us to All of You. Cliff Edwards was named a Disney Legend in 2000.
1904:
Actor & dancer Gil Lamb is born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. "Rubber-limbed" may be the best way to describe this pencil-thin entertainer who got his start in vaudeville and on Broadway in the 1930s as a funny man. On stage, Gil played Ichabod Crane in a short-lived 1949 Broadway run of "Sleepy Hollow." That same year Disney animators used his looks and movement as inspiration for Ichabod in "The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad." His live-action Disney credits included bit parts in "The Ugly Dachshund" (1966), "The Gnome-Mobile" (1967), "Blackbeard's Ghost" (1968), "The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit" (1968), "The Love Bug" (1968), and "The Boatniks" (1970). Lamb later entered the world of television, often in supporting roles or cameos on such shows as "The Ghost & Mrs. Muir," "The Twilight Zone," and "My Three Sons." Retiring in 1980, Gilbert L. Lamb passed at age 91 in November 1995.
1909:
Singer, actor and author Burl Ives, whose Disney credits included the 1949 So Dear to My Heart (as Uncle Hiram Douglas) and the 1963 Summer Magic (as Osh Popham), is born
in Hunt City, Illinois. His version of the 17th-century English song "Lavender Blue" became his first hit and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for its use in So Dear to My Heart. In 1963, Disneyland Records released "Walt Disney Presents Burl Ives' Animal Folk," one of several albums for children by Ives. When America Sings opened at Disneyland in 1974, he voiced the main host, Sam Eagle, an Audio Animatronic. (Generations of television fans know Ives as the voice of Sam the Snowman on the classic holiday special Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.)
1916:
Actress Dorothy McGuire is born in Omaha, Nebraska. Her Disney credits include the live-action films Swiss Family Robinson (as Mother Robinson), Summer Magic (as Margaret Carey), and Old Yeller (as Katie
Coates). Her long Hollywood career include such features as A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Three Coins in the Fountain, and The Greatest Story Ever Told.
1951:
Disney's "Operation Wonderland" airs as part of the television variety show Ford Star Revue. Walt presents clips and interviews from his next film Alice in Wonderland.
1958:
Disneyland's Columbia ship opens on the Rivers of America. It is a full-scale
version of the first ship to carry the American flag around the world. It actually was built in
large part from the plans for the HMS Bounty (of mutiny fame). Disney's shipbuilders couldn't
find plans for the original Columbia, so they relied heavily on those of Captain Bligh's ship, which had similar
dimensions. It has cost $300,000 to build. Fowler's Harbor (named after Admiral Joseph Fowler, who helped to build Disneyland) is also officially opened on this day to dock the new ship. A dedication ceremony takes place with
Fowler and Walt Disney himself in attendance.
The Disneyland attraction Alice in Wonderland debuts in Fantasyland. Actress,
Kathryn Beaumont, voice of Alice in the 1951 animated movie, provides the voice for the dark ride. It follows the
path of the movie, as the riders (as Alice) follow the White Rabbit down the Rabbit Hole into Wonderland.
Disneyland's first "Alice" attraction - Mad Tea Party (a spinning tea cup ride), has been operating since the park's
debut in July 1955.
The Submarine Voyage ride is officially dedicated on this day as well in Tomorrowland (although it has has been
open since June 6). The attraction has cost about $2.5 million to create. The Nautilus and 7 sister submarines - the
Triton, Sea Wolf, Skate, Skipjack, George Washington, Patrick Henry, and Ethan Allen allow 38 Disneyland guests
at a time to take their own voyage to the North Pole. For the dedication of the new Submarine Voyage attraction,
the opening ceremonies feature eight live mermaids performing a synchronized swimming ballet in the lagoon.
Mrs. Mildred Nelson, wife of the chief machinist on the the first nuclear-powered submarine, USS Nautilus,
helps Walt Disney christen the sub D-301, appropriately named Nautilus.
Also taking place at 1:30 is a special dedication parade specifically designed
for this day's festivities. The parade and all the day's events are filmed for an ABC television
special to be titled Kodak Presents Disneyland ’59.
Among the celebrities visiting Disneyland this day are actor Ronald Reagan, his (first) wife actress
Jane Wyman, and their son Michael; actress Hayley Mills, music man Meredith Wilson and TV personality
Art Linkletter (who along with Reagan helped host Disneyland's TV debut back in 1955).
All the new attractions will officially open to the public the following day.
C1959:
Three major attractions are christened at Disneyland on this day:
The first urban monorail system in the U.S., the Disneyland-Alweg Monorail System, begins operation in California's Disneyland. The two Mark I trains run on a .8 mile track around Tomorrowland. Walt Disney and U.S. Vice president Nixon and their families are on hand for the dedication of the "Highway in the Sky." (In June 1961, the Monorail will become a true transportation link instead of just a sightseeing ride. With an extended 2 1/2 mile track, Disneyland Hotel guests will be able to board the Monorail at the hotel and begin their park visit in Tomorrowland.)
1989:
The Disney Channel airs episode 38 of MMC. Today is Anything Can Happen Day!
Actress/singer Lucy Hale is born in Los Angeles, California. Best known for her role as Aria
Montgomery on the Freeform series Pretty Little Liars (which began on ABC Family in 2010), Hale voiced Periwinkle,
a twin sister of Tinker Bell in the 2012 animated Disney film Secret of the Wings. She also portrayed Miranda
Hampson in 2 episodes of Wizards of Waverly Place. In June 2012, Hale signed a record deal with Disney's
Hollywood Records. Her debut studio album Road Between was released on June 3, 2014. In 2015, Hale collaborated with Rascal Flatts, performed a cover of "Let It Go" from the Disney animated film Frozen, and was featured on the compilation album We Love Disney.
1994:
Dave Brubeck's 1957 Disney-themed record album, Dave Digs Disney is released on compact disc. Today, a jazz version of a Disney song
is hardly a surprise, but back in the 1950s, no one in jazz took Disney movies or their
soundtracks seriously. The Dave Brubeck Quartet was the first modern jazz group to treat
Disney songs with respect. According to Sony, Dave Digs Disney is the second most
important album in Dave's catalogue after his classic Time Out.
1996:
Epcot's Universe of Energy (closed since January 21) reopens with newly
repainted dinosaurs and flat screens for the pre-show.
1999:
The computer controlled sign that welcomes guests to the main entrance of Disneyland's parking lot is removed. Its site will be absorbed into the new California Adventure area.
(This is only the second sign to greet guests as they entered Disneyland in the park's 44 year history. The original
marquee, erected in 1958, had letters that had to be changed by hand!)
2000:
Tokyo Disneyland welcomes its 250-millionth visitor, Mrs. Hisae Do.
2001:
Lightning strikes a wire box controlling power to a monorail at Walt Disney
World in Florida, forcing the train to shut down temporarily. The monorail,
which is filled with scores of tourists, is towed back to its destination.
2002:
The Lizzie McGuire episode "Just Friends" debuts on Disney Channel as does
the 4th episode of the new animated Kim Possible series titled "Tick-Tick-Tick."
2003:
Mickey's Toontown of Pin Trading takes place at Disney World.
In 1986, the American Society
of Mechanical Engineers named
the Disneyland Monorail an
Historic Mechanical
Engineering
Landmark.
JUNE
2008:
Disney Channel debuts "A Hard Day's Knight," the 31st
episode of the animated series Phineas and Ferb.
JUNE 14
Today is Flag Day
JUNE 14
THIS SITE MADE
IN THE
USA
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"My adventures in Wonderland began when I followed the White Rabbit down the rabbit hole. All of a sudden, I fell! Down, down, down!" -Alice
Disneyland's Monorail debuts
"Heigh-Ho" has been developing of late as a closing number for a night-club set, being one of those free-wheeling tunes with an orthodox structure, which lends itself to creating a climactic feeling of excitement."
-portion of original liner notes from the Dave Digs Disney LP
1992:
Film and television actor Daryl Sabara is born in Torrance, California. Playing the role of
Peter Cratchit in Disney's A Christmas Carol, you may recognize Sabara from the series Wizards of Waverly
Place as T.J. (and his voice from the feature film The Polar Express). He also lent his voice to Disney's 2000 Dinosaur
as Young Zini and on episodes of the animated series Gravity Falls and Marvel's Avengers Assemble. (You may
remember Sabara for his role of Juni Cortez in the Spy Kids series of family films.)
1974:
Disney World’s "Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue" dinner show debuts in Pioneer
Hall at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. Created as a college
workshop summer production only, guest response will be so positive that Walt Disney World entertainment
will continue the show with a permanent professional cast at the end of the 1974 summer!
1910:
Evelyn Henry - one of the unsung heroines of animation’s past - is born in Alberta, Canada. First hired by Disney in 1932, she worked as an inker on the Silly Symphony shorts. Later promoted to department head, she acted as a supervisor for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. During the production of Snow White, Evie marred future Disney Legend Claude Coats - a background painter for the studio.
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1965:
A planning meeting for "Project Future" takes place at WED
Enterprises. The meeting allows Walt Disney to present his ideas about the Florida property to the board members and legal staff of Walt Disney Productions, lawyers and consultants from the state of Florida, and Disney’s legal staff from New York City. His staff will now have a better idea of the project’s scope and needs so that they can begin researching and crafting the necessary legal groundwork.
2010:
Principal photography begins in Hawaii for Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: On
Stranger Tides (scheduled for a Spring 2011 releases). Filming will also later take place
in California and London, England.
1971:
The All American College Band performs for the very first time at Disneyland.
The All-American College Band, made up of musicians from colleges all across the United States, will perform for
11 weeks throughout the summer (and become a yearly tradition).
Also on this day at Disneyland, the Matterhorn Mountain with its Matterhorn Bobsleds, opens. Modeled after the Matterhorn, a real mountain in the Swiss Alps, it is the first roller coaster to use cylindrical rails and urethane wheels (which will become standard in the roller coaster industry). At 147 feet tall, the Matterhorn contains 500 tons of structural steel. The ride consists of two separate tracks that run somewhat parallel to each other for much of the ride, intertwining and eventually deviating from each other at the loading areas.
In the United States, Flag Day is celebrated
on June 14. It commemorates the
adoption of the flag of the USA, which
happened that day by resolution of the
Second Continental Congress in 1777.
"The Disney theme was Dave's idea, and I was amazed when he called and told me what he wanted to do. I think I said, 'Jesus, what a goofy idea.' But anything Dave wanted short of tearing down the building was fine with me. He was taken with the tunes, and the quintet had
been playing them on the road quite a bit. As you know, Dave and Paul (Desmond) had a quirky sense of humor. Dave was ahead of his time
tapping into the Disney songbook. Look at how many artists have done the same since." -George Avakian, the album's original producer
2011:
The Cars 2 soundtrack is released on both CD album and as a digital download. With a
score by Michael Giacchino, the collection also features performances by Weezer, Brad Paisley, Robbie Williams, French singer-songwriter Bénabar and Japanese girl group Perfume. Pixar's Cars 2 will be released in U.S. theaters June 24.
In Florida, guests at Disney's Typhoon Lagoon help set a Guiness World Record.
The water park takes part in the second-annual World’s Largest Swimming Lesson, an international event during
which participants across the world head to all kinds of local swimming holes to attempt to break
the Guinness World Record for the largest simultaneous swimming lesson ever conducted. A platform to support
public education about water safety and the importance of teaching children to swim, the inaugural World’s Largest
Swimming Lesson first took place in 2010, with the record set at nearly 4,000 participants around the world. On this
day, more than 900 facilities across the world (including Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park) collectively set a
new record by hosting an estimated 30,000 swim lesson participants!
2012:
Although it had a red carpet premiere last night, Cars Land at Disney California
Adventure remains closed to the general public. On this day Disney invites the media to
experience the 12-acre expansion inspired by the 2006 Disney·Pixar film, Cars. Cars Land will open to all
Disneyland Resort guests tomorrow June 15.
June 14
This Day in Disney History - THE FIRST - THE ORIGINAL
Traveling in time since 1999!
1946:
Businessman, television personality and the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump is born in New York City. Visit the Donald Trump robot (and all the Commander-
in-Chiefs) at Disney World's Hall of Presidents.
1990:
The film Dick Tracy premieres at Walt Disney World's Pleasure Island in Lake
Buena Vista, Florida. The action comedy released by Touchstone Pictures stars Warren Beatty (who also
produced & directed), Al Pacino, Madonna, Glenne Headly, and Charlie Korsmo. It will be generally released the
following day.
2019:
Just Roll with It, a family comedy television series created by Adam Small and Trevor Moore, premieres on Disney Channel. This unique show blends improvisational comedy with a scripted family sitcom that allows the live studio audience the opportunity to select the direction of key scenes. The series follows the newly blended Bennett-Blatt family-preteen stepsiblings Blair and Owen and their fun-loving parents Rachel and Byron-as they navigate everyday family life.
T.O.T.S. (Tiny Ones Transport Service), a computer-animated television series created by Travis Braun, debuts on Disney Junior. Pip the penguin and Freddy the flamingo are two delivery birds in-training at T.O.T.S. Together, the two help take care of babies, where they travel around the globe to find their forever families in need while learning to solve problems under the guidance of K.C the Koala and Captain Beakman, along with the other delivery storks.
1925:
Richard Gerth, longtime Walt Disney World cast member who was well-known for greeting guests at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort, is born in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire.
1942:
Cinematographer Allen Daviau is born in New Orleans, Louisiana. Known for his collaborations with Steven Spielberg, his only Disney credit is the 2000 animated
The Tigger Movie.
2016:
The soundtrack to Finding Dory is released. Composed by Thomas Newman, it also features a cover of Nat King Cole's "Unforgettable" performed by Sia. The film will be generally released 3 days later.
1968:
The Eighth Annual Grad Nite at Disneyland takes place between 11 PM - 5 AM.
1997:
Disney's newest animated feature Hercules premieres at the New Amsterdam Theatre
in New York City. Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, the film is loosely based on the legendary
hero Heracles (known in this film by his Roman name, Hercules). It will be released to theaters 12 days later.
