2003:
At 6 p.m., Cirque du Soleil celebrates a milestone at Walt Disney World, as the cast of La Nouba marks its 2000th performance at the Cirque du Soleil theater at Downtown Disney West Side. (La Nouba comes from the French "faire la nouba," which means "to party" or "to live it up.")
The Lizzie McGuire episode "Grubby Longjohn's Olde Tyme Revue" debuts on Disney Channel.
1930:
Basketball Hall of Fame coach Don Haskins (a collegiate basketball
coach and player) is born in Enid, Oklahoma. In 2006 Walt Disney Pictures released
Glory Road, a movie based on his 1966 championship all-black Texas Western team who finished the
1965–66 regular season with a 23–1 record!
1935:
Donald Duck makes his first appearance in the
Mickey Mouse daily newspaper comic strip.
1948:
Comedian, actor, writer & film director Billy Crystal, the voice of Mike Wazowski in
Monsters, Inc. & Monsters University, and Mike Wazowski Car in Cars, is born in Long Beach, New York. It is rumored that he was originally offered the role of Buzz Lightyear for Toy Story - but turned it down! Crystal also portrayed himself in the 2011 musical comedy film The Muppets. (An Alumni of Saturday Night Live, movie fans will recognize Crystal from such classics as When Harry Met Sally, City Slickers, Mr. Saturday Night and Analyze This.)
1956:
The Disneyland TV series airs an episode featuring the film
"Stormy the Thoroughbred," narrated by Winston Hibler.
1965:
J. Randolph Richards, the President of the 77th Annual Tournament of Roses,
announces that Walt Disney will serve as the parade's Grand Marshal in
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color airs part one of "Kilroy," a 4-part comedy.
Kilroy, the elusive, legendary character who struck like a phantom and left his familiar mark, "KILROY WAS
HERE," everywhere he went during World War II, is brought to life by Disney. This evening's episode introduces
viewers to Brooklyn-born Oscar Kilroy (played by Warren Berlinger), a modest unassuming chap,who is
discharged from the Marine Corps a hero. He takes up residence in the small town of Wilton Junction with Mr.
and Mrs. Puller, the parents of a fellow marine. Oscar impresses the Fullers, especially their 12-year-old son
Billy, who persuades his new friend to help save the memorial cannon in the town square - as it is destined
for the junk heap on orders of the town council.
1991:
Musical comedy librettist, lyricist, playwright, and director Howard Ashman,
known for his work on such Disney classics as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin,
and The Little Mermaid, passes away in New York City. He will be posthumously named a
Disney Legend in 2001. (Ashman was director, lyricist and bookwriter for the 1986 Broadway musical Smile and
also wrote the screenplay for the Frank Oz directed film adaptation of his musical Little Shop of Horrors.)
Author Margery Sharp passes away at age 86 in England. Author of 25 novels for adults, 14 children's novels, 4 plays, 2 mysteries, and numerous short stories, her most famous work The Rescuers series about a mouse named Miss Bianca, was adapted in two animated feature films – The Rescuers and The Rescuers Down Under – by Disney.
1992:
C. V. Wood (Cornelius Vanderbilt Wood) a theme park developer and designer of planned communities, passes away at age 71. Hired away from his position at the Stanford
Research Institute in the early 1950s by Walt Disney, Wood was Vice President and General Manager of the Disneyland project. Although he played a huge part in the creation of the park, Wood and Walt had a falling out in 1956. Later, as Wood was trying to get other theme parks built on the East Coast, he billed himself as "The Master Planner of Disneyland" - a title that displeased Walt. Over the years Wood has been written out of Disney lore.
1994:
The Walt Disney Company proposes a restructuring "rescue" plan which will decrease the amount of Euro Disneyland's debt. (Much has happened with Euro Disneyland since its opening and although there has been successes at the Paris theme park, the high debt incurred along the way has caused the financial problems to become the number one priority.) In order for the park to remain operational the debt must be lowered.
The Virginia legislature approves a $140-million bond issue to pay
for highway improvements near the proposed Disney's America theme park site. (The project will eventually be canceled.)
2000:
The audio CD Color, Rhythm and Magic: Favorites From Disney Classics by jazz pianist Earl Rose is released. Tracks include "Go the
Distance," "A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes," and "Bella Notte." (Emmy Award
winning composer/pianist Earl Rose is one of the most versatile and prolific composers
in film and television today.)
The original score for the sci-fi adventure Mission to Mars is released by Disney's Hollywood Records. The score has been composed by Ennio Morricone and performed by the New York Philharmonic.
1975:
At Disney World, the film Magic Carpet 'Round the World is shown
for the last time at the Circle-Vision 360° Theater. Running since 1974, the film took
guests on a tour of landmarks spread across the four corners of the globe.
1920:
Cartoonist Hank Ketcham, best known as the creator of Dennis the
Menace, is born in Seattle, Washington. He started in the business as an
animator first for Walter Lantz and then Walt Disney for 3 years - where he worked on such
films as Fantasia, Bambi, and Pinocchio. In 1951 Ketcham created Dennis the Menace,
based on his own 4-year-old son Dennis!
A working title used early
in the development of the
movie Monsters, Inc. was
The Hidden City.
1942:
Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Pluto, and Dumbo appear on the cover of this day's Liberty (a weekly, general-interest magazine). The cover art, which depicts the characters paying their income taxes, has been created by Hank Porter, who over the course of his 15 year career at Disney will create dozens of illustrations for magazine covers, advertisements and articles.
2008:
Block Party Bash officially opens, replacing the Disney Stars and Motor Cars parade at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Block Party Bash, a parade imported from Disney's California Adventure, features Disney-Pixar characters.
Marley, a baby giraffe, is born at Disney's Animal Kingdom weighing in at 122 pounds and standing just under six feet. It is the second giraffe to be born at the theme
park this year.
Pixar Play Parade, featuring floats and characters based on Disney·Pixar films, begins running at Disney California Adventure. Replacing Block Party Bash, DCA is the first
park to host Pixar Play, as years later Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disneyland will also feature the parade.
MARCH 14
March 14 is Pi Day
commemorating the
mathematical constant π
MARCH 14
THIS DAY MADE IN THE USA
Billy Crystal born
 | ||||
| ||||
"I had a dream that Connie Chung is doing a newscast about my death and they show a clip from Soap."
-Billy Crystal
| ||||
In Memory of Howard Ashman (1950-1991)
SEASON 2 EPISODE 23
"I work with a certain speed and confidence that must be traced to my salad days at the
Mouse Factory. When I am asked where I attended school, I invariably reply, 'The University
of Walt Disney'." -Hank Ketcham
2010:
Princess Tiana (from The Princess and the Frog) is officially inducted into the
Disney Princess Royal Court at The New York Palace Hotel in New York City.
Actress Noni Rose (the voice of Tiana) attends.
The second season of Sonny with a Chance kicks off with the episode "Walk a
Mile in My Pants." The live-action Disney Channel series follows the experiences of teenager Sonny
Munroe, portrayed by Demi Lovato, who becomes the newest accepted cast member of her favorite live comedy television show, So Random!.
1970:
Actress Meredith Dawn Salenger is born in Malibu, California. Her first
starring role was in the 1985 Disney film The Journey of Natty Gann costarring John Cusack and Ray
Wise, the first US movie to win the gold award at the Moscow Film Festival. The film also garnered
Salenger "Best Actress in a Drama" at the Youth in Film Awards.
MAR
MAR
1929:
Disney's short The Barn Dance, directed by Walt Disney, is released. Mickey wants to take
Minnie to a dance, but Pete's flashy car beats Mickey's horse-drawn wagon as her transportation of choice. At the
dance, Mickey uses some balloons to make himself light on his feet, but this doesn't keep Minnie at his side for long.
This short features Marcellite Garner as the voice of Minnie for the very first time.
This Day in Disney History - THE FIRST - THE ORIGINAL
Traveling in time since 1999!
2013:
Walt Disney World Resort announces the multi-year transformation of
Downtown Disney into Disney Springs. A unique destination that will treat guests to
significantly more shopping, dining and entertainment, Disney Springs will include four outdoor
neighborhoods interconnected by a flowing spring and vibrant lakefront. It is expected to be
completed by 2016.
2014:
Disney's Touchstone Pictures (along with DreamWorks Studios and
Electronic Arts) releases the action feature film Need for Speed.
Based on the successful racing video game franchise, the film tells the story of street racer and mechanic
Tobey Marshall (portrayed by Aaron Paul).
2018:
Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer and International (DTCI) is formed as part of The Walt Disney Company's strategic reorganization in anticipation of integrating 21st Century Fox's assets, with units coming from all of the other segments.
1933:
Actor Michael Caine is born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite Jr. in Rotherhithe, London, England. Appearing in more than 130 films in a career spanning 70 years, his Disney/Touchstone credits include Mr. Destiny (1990), The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), The Prestige (2006), Gnomeo & Juliet (2011), and Cars 2 (2011).
1974:
Actress Grace Park is born in Los Angeles, California (but raised in Vancouver, Canada). Fans of ABC-TV's A Million Little Things know her as Katherine Kim.
1976:
Actor Corey Stoll is born in New York City. He portrayed the villain Darren Cross in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Ant-Man (2015).
2020:
Disneyland Park closes as of this day (through the end of the month) due to the coronavirus outbreak. The Hotels of Disneyland Resort will remain open until Monday, March 16 to give guests the ability to make necessary travel arrangements. Disney Cruise Line also suspends all new departures beginning on this day.
2021:
Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media is awarded to Jojo Rabbit at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. The comedy drama, distributed by Disney's Fox Searchlight Pictures, tells the story of a young boy in Hitler's army who finds out his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their home.
