2000:
Disney's stage show Aida (featuring music by Elton John and lyrics by
Tim Rice) opens at the Palace Theatre in New York City. The tale of Aida, made
famous by Verdi's 1871 opera, tells of an enslaved African princess, Aida, and her doomed love for
the captain of the Egyptian guard, Radames, who is in turn desired by Aida's royal mistress,
Amneris. (The musical will go on to win four Tony Awards.)
2004:
Disney Publishing Worldwide announces that it is launching W.I.T.C.H., a new book series about five ordinary friends with an extraordinary secret - they each have the power to control a natural element. W.I.T.C.H. is the acronym of the first names of the 5 heroines.
1911:
Radio and television actress Paula Winslowe, the voice of Bambi's Mother in the
1942 Disney classic Bambi, is born in North Dakota. She married actor John Sutherland
(the voice of adult Bambi) on September 16, 1939.
1936:
Artist Ollie Johnston (future member of Walt's "Nine Old Men")
becomes master animator Fred Moore's assistant at the Disney Studio.
1950:
Bobby Driscoll is given a special Oscar at the Academy Awards, for outstanding
juvenile actor of 1949. He had portrayed Jerry in Disney's 1949 So Dear to My Heart (and earlier the role
of Johnny in Disney's 1946 Song of the South.) The Best Song award goes to "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (written
by Frank Loesser for Neptune's Daughter) beating out "Lavender Blue" (written by Eliot Daniel & Larry Morey)
from Disney's So Dear to My Heart.
1967:
Disney's 17-minute cartoon Scrooge McDuck and Money, directed
by Hamilton Luske, is released. Uncle Scrooge's first major animated appearance, he was originally created by Carl Barks in a 1947 comic book story. Voiced by Bill Thompson, wealthy business magnate Scrooge McDuck teaches his nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie all about the history of money.
1969:
At Disneyland, 101 privately-owned Volkswagen Beetles parade down Main Street to celebrate Herbie Day (to promote The Love Bug film).
The cars are judged in the categories of most psychedelic, toy-like, comical and best personality.
Morton and Barbara Allen of Studio City, California, win the grand prize – a brand-new 1969
Volkswagen Beetle, presented by The Love Bug stars Dean Jones and Michele Lee.
1975:
The Wonderful World of Disney airs the episode "Welcome To The World." Hosted by actress/singer Lucie Arnaz, the show celebrates the opening of the Magic Kingdom's new thrill ride Space Mountain!
1976:
Actress Keri Russell, a Mouseketeer on Disney Channel's All New Mickey Mouse Club
(from 1991 to 1993) is born in Fountain Valley, California. She also appeared in the 1992 Honey, I Blew Up the Kid, co-starred with Adam Sandler in Disney's 2008 comedy feature Bedtime Stories, and played Zorii Bliss in the 2019 Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
1977:
Josh Ackerman, who was a Mouseketeer for 7 seasons on the 1989
All New Mickey Mouse Club TV series, is born in St. Paul, Minnesota.
1987:
The Walt Disney Company signs a contract with the French national, regional and local governments, which promises Disney: favorable loan terms; that the rapid transit railway system will be extended to the theme park from Paris; that two interchanges will be built to link Euro Disneyland with a main highway; and that a special station for high-speed trains will be constructed at the park.
1996:
The Walt Disney Company and McDonald's Corporation sign a 10-year multi-national promotional alliance, set to begin in January 1997.
1998:
At the 70th Academy Awards, Don Iwerks (co-founder of Iwerks Entertainment) is given the Gordon E. Sawyer Award for accomplishments in the field of motion picture science and technology. Iwerks, who in his early years worked for Disney, is the son of legendary Disney animator/mechanical genius Ub Iwerks.
Although nominated for Best Music, Original Song, "Go the Distance" (from Disney's Hercules) is edged out by
"My Heart Will G On" (from this year's big winner Titanic).
Disney's Miramax Pictures release Good Will Hunting (nominated in 9 categories) wins Best Supporting Actor (Robin Williams) and Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (Matt Damon and Ben Affleck).
2001:
The Lizzie McGuire episode "Aaron Carter's Coming
to Town" airs for the first time on the Disney Channel.
2003:
An animated 3D Mickey Mouse presents the Best Animated Short Oscar (to The ChubbChubbs!) at the 75th Annual Academy Awards hosted by Steve Martin. The Disney distributed Spirited Away is awarded Best Animated Feature, beating out Lilo & Stitch and Treasure Planet. Chicago (a Miramax Film - a division of The Walt Disney Company) wins 5 Oscars!
The Main Street Electrical Parade gives its last performance at Disneyland Paris.
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1912:
Wernher Von Braun, one of the world's foremost space scientist, is born in Wirsitz,
Germany. A rocket physicist, astronautics engineer and space architect, Von Braun helped produce the Disney "Man
In Space" TV episodes in the 1950s. His Saturn V booster rocket made possible the first Moon landing in July 1969. Von
Braun helped establish and promote the National Space Institute, a precursor of the present-day National Space Society,
in 1975, and became its first president and chairman.
Actor Jeff York is born Granville Owen Scofield in Los Angeles, California. His Disney credits include the Zorro television series, The Saga of Andy Burnett serial, and the films Savage Sam, Old Yeller, Johnny Tremain, Westward Ho, The Wagons!, and The Great Locomotive Chase. He also portrayed Mike Fink, the flamboyant keelboat operator in two episodes of Disney's hugely popular Davy Crockett miniseries - "Davy Crockett's Keelboat Race" and "Davy Crockett and the River Pirates."
2007:
The new trailer for Disney/Pixar's Ratatouille premieres
during an episode of Cory in the House on Disney Channel.
Starting on this day, Lewis, Wilbur Robinson, and
Bowler Hat Guy from Meet the Robinsons meet and
greet guests at the Disney-MGM Studios, the same
day Meet the Robinsons is released in the United
Kingdom. A computer-animated science fiction comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures, it is loosely based on characters from the children's book "A Day with Wilbur Robinson," by William Joyce. Boy genius Lewis gives up hope of retrieving his latest invention, which was stolen by Bowler Hat Guy, when a young time-traveler named Wilbur Robinson arrives on the scene to whisk Lewis away in his time machine. The boys spend a day in the future with Wilbur's eccentric family and uncover an amazing secret at the same time. The voice cast includes Jordan Fry, Wesley Singerman, Harland Williams, Tom Kenny, Steve Anderson, Laurie Metcalf, Adam West, Tom Selleck, and Angela Bassett.
1999:
Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida, a concept album that contains songs which will be
used for next year's Broadway production of Aida, is released on Island Records. The
album features Elton John performing his songs along with such pop stars as Sting, LeAnn Rimes, Tina
Turner, Angelique Kidjo, Spice Girls, Janet Jackson, Boyz II Men, Shania Twain, Lenny Kravitz, James
Taylor, and Lulu. (Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida: Original Broadway Cast Recording, a conventional original
cast recording of the Broadway production will be released in 2000.)
LoudMouth releases their first self-titled CD on Hollywood Records.
2005:
The 9th Marc Davis Lecture on Animation takes place in the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in California. This year's event features two time Academy Award winning animation impressionist Frédéric Back.
Don Iwerks (the son of legendary Disney
animator Ub Iwerks) is the co-founder
of Iwerks Entertainment. He has been
associated with many accomplishments,
including the 360-degree CircleVision
camera and projection systems that he
worked on with his father. Don's
department designed and manufactured hundreds of unique film
projection systems
for Disney theme
parks such as
Disney's Star
Tours simulator.
2008:
Roger Federer, the world’s No. 1 ranked men’s professional tennis player, attempts to "pull the sword from the stone" in Fantasyland at Disney World's Magic Kingdom. Federer is visiting Disney World during Easter weekend before heading to Miami for the 2008 Sony Ericsson Open.
1957:
Actress Amanda Plummer, the voice of Clotho in Disney's animated Hercules, is born in New York City. She can also be heard as Professor Poofenplotz in an episode of Phineas and Ferb.
MARCH 23
MARCH 23
THIS DAY MADE IN THE USA
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Iwerks wins Gordon E. Sawyer Award
1973:
Disney's live-action Charley and the Angel, starring Fred
MacMurray, Cloris Leachman, Harry Morgan, and Kurt
Russell, is released. Set during the Depression, a crotchety & frugal
shopkeeper named Charley (MacMurray) is visited by an angel (Morgan), who
shows him what will happen if he doesn't change the error of his ways.
Nominated for a Golden Globe, it is MacMurray's 7th and final Disney film.
Directed by Vincent McEveety, the film is based on "The Golden Evenings of Summer," a 1971 novel written by Will Stanton. The cast also includes Kathleen Cody, Scott Kolden, Vincent Van Patten, and George Lindsey.
1951:
The Donald Duck short Corn Chips and the Goofy short Home Made Home are both
released. In Corn Chips, directed by Jack Hannah, Chip 'n' Dale are persuaded by Donald to shovel his
snowy sidewalk. Home Made Home, directed by Jack Kinney, finds Goofy attempting to build a house.
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"There is only one Walt Disney ... He is the greatest producer the industry has ever turned out."
-film star Mary Pickford (1936)
1990:
Disney's Touchstone Pictures releases Pretty Woman, a romantic comedy starring
Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, and directed by Garry Marshall. Corporate mogul
Edward Lewis (Gere) finds himself in Los Angeles and in need of a female companion for some business/social
events. When a chance encounter with a prostitute, Vivian (Roberts), brings them together, Edward offers
her the job for a week, promising a $3,000 fee. His friendly takeover of her life introduces Vivian to a fantasy
world of power and privilege, and thanks to Edward’s extravagance, her natural charm and grace emerge.
Edward is soon captivated her, and romance emerges out of what was a purely business arrangement.
The cast includes Ralph Bellamy (in his final performance), Laura San Giacomo, Jason Alexander, Hector Elizondo, and Larry Miller. (In its opening weekend, the film will be number one at the box office, grossing $11,280,591.)
1905:
Film, television and theater actress Joan Crawford is born in San Antonio, Texas.
Known for her appearances in such features as Grand Hotel and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, in
1955 she became involved with the Pepsi-Cola Company, through her marriage to company president Alfred
Steele. After his death in 1959, Crawford was elected to fill his vacancy on the board of directors. It was
Crawford who suggested that Pepsi contact Walt Disney to build an idea for a "little boat ride" for the
1964/65 World's Fair in New York!
2011:
Shareholders re-elect Walt Disney Co.'s board slate, including Apple Inc. Chief Executive Steve Jobs and 12 other nominees. Shareholders at the annual meeting held in Salt Lake City also approve a motion to give themselves an annual advisory vote on the Burbank entertainment giant’s executive compensation.
A Day in the Life - John Lasseter, a documentary by Leslie Iwerks, is filmed.
Shot during the end of production on Cars 2, the promotional video will be released in July.
(Leslie is the daughter of Disney Legend Don Iwerks and granddaughter to the animator and co-designer of
Mickey Mouse, Ub Iwerks.)
1949:
Cathy Birk, Disneyland's 1970 Ambassador, is born in Paris, France. First joining
Disneyland in 1968, she was chosen as the park's new Ambassador in November 1969.
MAR
MAR
March 23
This Day in Disney History - THE FIRST - THE ORIGINAL
Traveling in time since 1999!
2013:
Norman "Stormy" Palmer, who worked at Disney for 45 years and became closely
associated with the studio's acclaimed True-Life Adventure short-subject series of
documentaries, passes away at his home in Northridge, California, from natural
causes. He is 94. Born October 7, 1918, Palmer first came to work for Disney the year after graduating high
school. After six months, he moved into the editorial department, where he assisted on the 1940 animated
classics Pinocchio and Fantasia. A true pioneer in the field of nature documentaries, Palmer's greatest contributions
include the 1952 Oscar-winning Water Birds, Grand Canyon and Nature's Half Acre. Retired since 1983, Palmer
was named a Disney Legend in 1998.
The 26th Annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards are held in California. Among the winners:
-Favorite Animated Movie: Wreck-it Ralph
-Favorite TV Actress: Selena Gomez – Wizards of Waverly Place as Alex Russo
2018:
Muppet Babies, a computer-animated television series featuring toddler versions of
the Muppets characters, begins airing on Disney Junior and Disney Channel.
2012:
Doc McStuffins, an animated children's television series produced by Brown Bag
Films, premieres on Disney Channel and Disney Junior. About a girl named Dottie "Doc"
McStuffins who can "fix" toys with help from her toy friends, it features songs written and composed by Kay
Hanley and Michelle Lewis.
1986:
Actor, musician, and fashion model Steven Strait is born in New York City. He played the role of Warren Peace in Disney's 2005 superhero comedy Sky High.
1966:
Actor Daniel Fathers is born in London, England. He played Brown Cesario (the camp director) in both Disney television films Camp Rock (2008) and Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam (2010).
2010:
The Last Song: Original Soundtrack is released on Hollywood Records. The 17 tracks include performances by the film's star Miley Cyrus and such artists as OneRepublic, Maroon 5, and Allstar Weekend.
2019:
The 32nd Annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards are held in California. Among the winners:
-Favorite Movie: Avengers: Infinity War
-Favorite Superhero: Robert Downey Jr. – Avengers: Infinity War as Tony Stark / Iron Man
-Favorite Animated Movie: Incredibles 2
-Favorite Female TV Star: Zendaya – K.C. Undercover as K.C. Cooper
1917:
Stage, film, and television actor Kenneth Tobey is born in Oakland, California. Performing in hundreds of productions during a career that spanned more than half a century, his Disney credits included Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier, Davy Crockett and the River Pirates, The Great Locomotive Chase, Gus, and Honey, I Blew Up the Kid.
2021:
Actor George Segal passes away at age 87 in California. Fans of the ABC sitcom The Goldbergs knew him for his role of Albert "Pops" Solomon, the eccentric but lovable grandfather. The long-running series (which shot an episode at Disneyland) entered its eighth season in 2021, and Segal was part of the regular cast up until his death. Playing both dramatic and comedic roles, some of his most acclaimed parts were in films such as Ship of Fools (1965), King Rat (1965), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), Where's Poppa? (1970), The Hot Rock (1972), Blume in Love (1973), A Touch of Class (1973), California Split (1974), For the Boys (1991), and Flirting with Disaster (1996). Segal was also an accomplished banjo player and released three albums.
1974:
Director and producer Jaume Collet-Serra is born in Catalonia, Spain. Best known for such horror films as House of Wax (2005), Orphan (2009), and The Shallows (2016), he directed Disney's 2021 live-action Jungle Cruise.
