Walt Disney

Walter Elias Disney (December 5, 1901 – December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur who became one of the most influential figures in the history of animation. Born in Chicago and raised largely in Missouri, he developed an early interest in drawing, studied art as a boy, and later worked as a commercial illustrator.

In the early 1920s, Disney moved to California and, with his brother Roy O. Disney, founded the Disney Brothers Studio, later renamed The Walt Disney Company. Working with Ub Iwerks, he helped create Mickey Mouse in 1928, the character that brought him his first major success. He also voiced Mickey in the early years. Under his leadership, the studio introduced important developments in animated filmmaking, including synchronized sound, full-color three-strip Technicolor, feature-length cartoons, and advances in camera technology.

Disney’s major films included Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Pinocchio and Fantasia (both 1940), Dumbo (1941), and Bambi (1942). After World War II, he continued producing animated and live-action films such as Cinderella (1950), Sleeping Beauty (1959), and Mary Poppins (1964), the last of which won five Academy Awards.

In the 1950s, Disney expanded into theme parks and opened Disneyland in Anaheim, California, in 1955. He also developed television programs and was involved in major projects such as the 1964 New York World's Fair. In 1965, he began planning Disney World and EPCOT, but he died of lung cancer in 1966 before they were completed. Disney is widely regarded as a major cultural icon and a central figure in 20th-century American entertainment.