2005:
An open letter to the Walt Disney Company Board of Directors written by
Roy E. Disney and Stanley P. Gold is released. They question the process
being used to find a successor for departing CEO Michael Eisner.
1905:
Comic actor Richard Haydn, the voice of the caterpillar in Disney's 1951
classic Alice in Wonderland, is born in London, England. He also appears in Disney's 1967
live-action feature The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin. (Known for playing eccentric characters, Haydn's American
TV credits include episodes of The Twilight Zone, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and Bewitched. But perhaps his most
acclaimed role was in Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1965 film musical, The Sound of Music, in which he played the
von Trapp's family friend Max Detweiler.)
1909:
Walt Disney's grandmother Mary Richardson Disney passes away in Ellis, Kansas.
Born 1838 in Ireland, she was married to Kepple Disney.
1938:
Disney is twice awarded at the 1937 Academy Awards presented at the
Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. The Disney/RKO cartoon short
The Old Mill (Short Subjects, Cartoon) wins an Academy Award, and Walt Disney Productions takes home an Oscar (Scientific or Technical, Class II)) for the design and use of its unqiue multiplane camera. The multiplane uses stacked panes of glass each painted with different elements of the animation. It allows the animators to re-use the same background, foreground, or any elements not in motion ... thus saving hours of labor. Although Walt Disney Studio Music Department is nominated for Best Music Score (for Snow White), Universal Studio Music Department takes home the Oscar (for One Hundred Men and a Girl).
1955:
U.S. President Eisenhower calls Walt Disney to congratulate him
on the previous night's TV broadcast of "Man in Space." Eisenhower
asks for a copy of it to show the generals in the Pentagon.
1963:
The TV series Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color
airs "The Horse With the Flying Tail."
1985:
Today is General Electric's last day as corporate sponsor of Disney World's Carousel of Progress. GE's association with the attraction goes all the way back to the 1964-65 New York World's Fair.
2001:
The animated Disney's House of Mouse debuts episode 8
"Jiminy Cricket."
A rare reunion of original stars of the 1950s television series the "Mickey Mouse Club" is held at Pardini's in Fresno, California. Proceeds of the event benefit the Center for Independent Living, a local organization that assists those with disabilities.
In celebration of the opening of Disney's California Adventure, Disney presents the "Artist's Choice" Pin of the Month Program with the "Tattoo Surf" pin. On the second Saturday of each month, (excluding February) a different pin will be released from the series.
The "Nanea" (which means tranquil) volcano-themed pool at
Disney World's Polynesian Resort replaces the original
grotto pool. The new swimming hole includes underwater music.
2003:
It is reported that Disney World's Swan and Dolphin hotels are being
redecorated in an effort to make all 2,300 rooms more luxurious. (The
properties, owned by Tishman Hotel Corp. and managed by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, are
aimed largely at business travelers.) The overhaul is being directed by Michael Graves, the 13-year-old
hotels' original architect who designed the hotels' exterior landmarks.
2004:
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection presents its new
Green Lodgings awards to Disney World's Coronado Springs and
Boardwalk Resorts. (They are two of the first four hotels in Florida to
receive the awards.) The honor is given to hotel properties that feature
innovative and imaginative programs to conserve natural resources,
reduce waste, minimize pollution and reduce costs.
2006:
The Walt Disney Company holds their annual meeting of shareholders in Anaheim,
California. It is the first gathering under the leadership of CEO Robert Iger.
Disney releases the live-action feature film The Shaggy Dog (a remake of the 1959 film.)
Tim Allen plays Dave Douglas who transforms into a Bearded Collie.
The Disney sister act Aly & AJ appear on ABC-TV's Live with Regis and
Kelly to promote their album Into the Rush.
1978:
The live-action Disney feature Return from Witch Mountain is released. Starring Bette Davis, Christopher Lee, Kim Richards, Ike Eisenmann, and Jack Soo, it is a sequel to the 1975 Escape to Witch Mountain.
1992:
Actress/singer Emily Osment, Lilly Truscott on Disney Channel's Hannah Montana,
is born in Los Angeles, California. Osment also recorded a remake version of the song "If I Didn't Have You" (with Mitchel Musso) for the DisneyMania 6 CD. Her voice credits include Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch
and Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2.
Paul Winchell (the first voice of
Tigger) got his start in show biz
at the age of 14. He was part of
a ventriloquist act on the
Major Bowes Amateur Hour
radio show.
1953:
Africa USA, a wildlife tourist attraction in Boca Raton, Florida, opens its
doors to the public. A unique theme park (before its time), Walt Disney
himself will frequently visit and even consider purchasing the 300-acre site.
(Africa USA will close in September 1961.)
2008:
Soft openings for Pixar Play Parade kick off at Disney's California Adventure. Scheduled for a March 14 debut, the parade will run through the summer.
Dave Stevens, a celebrated illustrator and comics artist best known for his creation The Rocketeer, passes away at age 52. Stevens first began developing a Rocketeer film proposal in 1985 and later sold the rights to the Walt Disney Company, which produced
the 1991 live-action feature The Rocketeer.
1948:
Disney's Bambi is awarded 2 Special Golden Globe Awards "for furthering the influence of the screen" and "for the Hindustani version of the movie."
1935:
An article titled "Mickey Mouse Emerges As Economist" is published in this day's issue of The New York Times. Readers are informed:
New applause is heard for Mickey Mouse rising high above the general acclaim for him that already rings throughout the earth. The fresh cheering is for Mickey the Big Business Man, the world's super-salesman.
MARCH 10
MARCH 10
THIS DAY MADE IN THE USA
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Disney Wins Oscars
D23 Launched
2009:
The 70th anniversary edition of Pinocchio is released on DVD and Blu-ray.
Speed of Light, the second solo studio album by actor and pop singer Corbin Bleu, is released by Hollywood Records.
Also released by Hollywood Records is BHB, the debut album from pop music group Ballas Hough Band (formed by Dancing with the Stars
professional dancers Derek Hough and Mark Ballas).
Disney officially launches "D23" - their first official fan organization - with
the premiere issue of Disney twenty-three magazine. Paying homage to 1923,
the year The Walt Disney Company was founded, the all-new quarterly Disney magazine presents
stunning photography, dazzling illustrations and the ultimate insider perspective.
2000:
Disney's Touchstone Pictures releases the science fiction film Mission to Mars
starring Gary Sinise and Tim Robbins. Directed by Brian De Palma, it tells the story of a rescue
mission to Mars following a disaster during the first manned voyage to the planet. The cast also includes
Don Cheadle, Connie Nielsen, Jerry O'Connell, and Kim Delaney.
Walt Disney Pictures releases the live-action Whispers: An Elephant's Tale, featuring
the voices of Angela Bassett, Joanna Lumley, Anne Archer, Debi Derryberry and
Kevin Michael Richardson. An orphaned baby African elephant named Whispers (Derryberry) wanders
alone in the wilderness. Luckily, he finds a maternal figure in Groove (Bassett), an older elephant who is used to traveling on her own. The unlikely pachyderm pair make their way through various dangerous environments and try their best to avoid predators lurking about. As they search for a legendary riverside safe haven, Whispers and
Groove gradually form a close bond.
1989:
New York Stories, an anthology film made up of 3 shorts, is released by
Touchstone Pictures. The first short is Life Lessons, directed by Martin Scorsese and written by
Richard Price. The second - Life Without Zoe, is directed by Francis Ford Coppola and written by Coppola
and his daughter, Sofia Coppola. The last segment is Oedipus Wrecks, directed and written by Woody Allen.
"I'd always loved the idea of a guy flying like a bird, with just a combustible contraption strapped to his back."
-Dave Stevens (1955-2008)
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1983:
Country singer-songwriter Carrie Underwood is born in Muskogee, Oklahoma. First rising to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, she contributed to the soundtrack for Disney's Enchanted singing "Ever Ever After" in 2007. In February 2009 she helped launch the new Americn Idol attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios. In June 2018, she received the Hero award at the RadioDisney Music Awards.
1950:
Actress, singer-songwriter Beverly Bremers, known for her roles on Broadway and her 1972 million-seller "Don't Say You Don't Remember," is born in Chicago, Illinois. As a songwriter, she received a platinum record for writing the song, "Mousercise" for Disney, which became the theme for the long-running program on the Disney Channel, a live show at Disneyland, and a video.
1944:
Disney's Goofy short How to Play Golf, directed by Jack Kinney, is released.
An analysis of the great game of golf ... the Goofy way.
2010:
Disneyland holds a special party to celebrate the first anniversary of "D23" -
Disney's first official fan organization.
1998:
All the Pain Money Can Buy, the second album by American pop-rock band Fastball, is released on Hollywood Records.
MAR
MAR
Are You 23?
"We have a fantastic legacy that started in 1923 and is based on timeless stories, beloved characters and unforgettable experiences, but it’s our fans that
keep the spirit of Disney alive year after year, generation after generation. D23 is our way of saying ‘thank you’ and celebrating our fans, who bring the
magic of Disney to life every day in every corner of the world." -Disney President and CEO Bob Iger
March 10
This Day in Disney History - THE FIRST - THE ORIGINAL
Traveling in time since 1999!
2017:
The 2D-animated musical fantasy television film Tangled: Before Ever After airs on
Disney Channel for the first time. Taking place between the original Walt Disney Animation Studios
film Tangled and the short Tangled Ever After, it features the voices of Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi and Eden Espinosa.
The soundtrack album to the 2017 live-action film Beauty and the Beast is released on
Walt Disney Records. Beauty and the Beast: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is largely based on material
from Disney's 1991 animated version, with songs and an instrumental score composed by Alan Menken with lyrics by Howard Ashman and three new songs composed by Alan Menken with lyrics by Tim Rice. The songs feature vocal performances by the film's cast.
Although it won't premiere on Disney Channel until April 7, the first episode of Andi Mack becomes available on this day on the Disney Channel App, On-Demand, Disney Channel's YouTube, iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play. A family comedy-drama television series created by Terri Minsky, Andi Mak stars Peyton Elizabeth Lee as a young teen who discovers that the woman she believed to be her sister, is actually her mother.
2019:
The fourth season of the animated television series Star vs. the Forces of Evil debuts
with the episode "Butterfly Follies". The first Disney XD series created by a woman, Jordana Arkin, it
follows the adventures of Star Butterfly the young turbulent heir to the royal throne in the dimension of Mewni, who
is sent to Earth so she can complete her education and learn to be a worthy princess, and Marco Diaz a human
teenager who becomes her roommate and best friend, as they live their daily lives, and go on adventures in
other dimensions.
1971:
Actor Jon Hamm is born in St. Louis, Missouri. Best known for playing advertising executive Don Draper in the AMC television drama series Mad Men (2007–2015), in 2014 he played sports agent J.B. Bernstein in Disney's sports drama Million Dollar Arm. His Disney voice credits include Lord Hater in the Disney XD series Wander Over Yonder and Louis in Disney Channel's animated comedy series Big City Greens.
1982:
Actor & martial artist Shin Koyamada is born in Los Angeles, California. He starred in the Disney Channel's Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior (2006) along with Brenda Song, which received the highest rated kids channel in Japan, U.K. and Europe. He also took part in Disney Channel's Disney Channel Games in 2006, 2007, and 2008.
1986:
Actor and film director Ray Milland passes away at age 79 in California. With a screen career that ran from 1929 to 1985, he played the role of Aristotle Bolt in Disney's 1975 live-action Escape to Witch Mountain. He is best remembered for his Academy Award-winning portrayal of an alcoholic writer in Billy Wilder's 1945 The Lost Weekend, and for such roles in Dial M for Murder and Love Story.
2007:
Actor Malachi Barton is born in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He portrayed Beast Diaz on Disney Channel's Stuck in the Middle, Jasper Flores in Bunk'd, and Tyber in Just Roll With It. His voice credits include Lionel in Fancy Nancy and Leo in Elena of Avalor.
2021:
The special event D23 x Walt Disney Imagineering Magical Milestones – Disney California Adventure Park 20th Anniversary kicks off through March 26. A first in a series of milestones that D23 and Walt Disney Imagineering will be partnering to celebrate, each event will feature a grand gathering of Imagineers who will take guests on a journey spanning everything from park origins and history, to beautiful artwork and storytelling, to plenty of behind-the-scenes stories that introduce some of the fascinating people that bring our favorite places to life. The 90-minute CA presentation is hosted by Leslie Iwerks and Bob Weis.
