Career Timeline of Walt Disney: Major Achievements and Milestones
Discover the career path of Walt Disney, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Walt Disney was a highly influential American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur who revolutionized the animation industry. He holds the record for the most Academy Awards and nominations. His groundbreaking work led to the creation of iconic films and characters, many of which have been recognized for their cultural and artistic significance, earning places in the National Film Registry and AFI's list of greatest films.
October 1919: Apprentice Artist at Pesmen-Rubin Art Studio
In October 1919, Walt Disney returned to Kansas City and worked as an apprentice artist at the Pesmen-Rubin Commercial Art Studio.
January 1920: Laid off from Pesmen-Rubin
In January 1920, Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks were laid off from Pesmen-Rubin. They subsequently started their own business, Iwerks-Disney Commercial Artists.
May 1921: Establishment of Laugh-O-Gram Studio
In May 1921, Walt Disney's success with the "Laugh-O-Grams" led to the establishment of Laugh-O-Gram Studio.
July 1923: Move to Hollywood
In July 1923, Walt Disney moved to Hollywood at 21 years old and began efforts to sell "Alice's Wonderland".
1923: Bankruptcy of Laugh-O-Gram Studio
In 1923, Laugh-O-Gram Studio went into bankruptcy after the completion of "Alice's Wonderland".
July 1924: Hiring of Ub Iwerks
In July 1924, Walt Disney hired Ub Iwerks, persuading him to relocate to Hollywood from Kansas City.
1926: Winkler's role in distribution was handed over to her husband, Charles Mintz.
By 1926, Margaret Winkler's role in the distribution of the "Alice" series had been handed over to her husband, film producer Charles Mintz.
1926: Establishment of Walt Disney Studio
In 1926, the first official Walt Disney Studio was established at 2725 Hyperion Avenue.
July 1927: End of the Alice Series
The Alice series ran until July 1927. By this time, Disney had begun to tire of the series and wanted to move away from the mixed format to all animation.
February 1928: Loss of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit
In February 1928, Walt Disney lost the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and most of his animation staff after a dispute with Charles Mintz.
May 1928: Mickey Mouse's First Appearance
In May 1928, Mickey Mouse first appeared in a test screening of the short "Plane Crazy", however, it failed to find a distributor.
1928: Mickey Mouse Creation
In 1928, Walt Disney, with Ub Iwerks, developed the character Mickey Mouse. This was Disney's first highly popular success. Walt also provided the voice for his creation in the early years.
1929: First Silly Symphony: The Skeleton Dance
In 1929, The Skeleton Dance was released, the first in the Silly Symphony series. It was drawn and animated entirely by Ub Iwerks.
1930: Introduction of Pluto
In 1930, Disney and his crew introduced Pluto as a new cartoon star.
1932: Introduction of Goofy and Academy Award
In 1932, Disney introduced Goofy as a new cartoon star. In 1932, Disney filmed Flowers and Trees in full-color three-strip Technicolor, winning the inaugural Academy Award for best Short Subject (Cartoon). Disney also received an Honorary Award "for the creation of Mickey Mouse".
1933: Release of The Three Little Pigs
In 1933, Disney produced 'The Three Little Pigs', which won Disney another Academy Award in the Short Subject (Cartoon) category. The film's success led to a further increase in the studio's staff. Disney invested in a story department separate from the animators.
1934: Introduction of Donald Duck
In 1934, Disney and his crew introduced Donald Duck as a new cartoon star.
1934: Production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
In 1934, Disney became dissatisfied with producing cartoon shorts and began the four-year production of 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'.
August 31, 1935: Expiration of Technicolor Deal
On August 31, 1935, Disney's deal giving him the sole right to use the three-strip Technicolor process expired.
December 1937: Premiere of Snow White
In December 1937, 'Snow White' premiered to high praise from critics and audiences.
1937: Release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
In 1937, Walt Disney released "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", a feature-length cartoon that furthered the development of animated film.
1937: The Old Mill release
In 1937, the first work created on the multiplane camera—a Silly Symphony called 'The Old Mill'—won the Academy Award for Animated Short Film.
1937: Production of Bambi
Since 1937 Disney started production of the feature film Bambi.
1938: Production of Pinocchio and Fantasia
In 1938, the studio began producing 'Pinocchio' and 'Fantasia'.
May 1939: Snow White's Success
By May 1939, 'Snow White's' total gross of $6.5 million made it the most successful sound film made to that date.
October 1940: Enlisting Contracts to make training films
As early as October 1940 Walt Disney began enlisting contracts from various branches of the United States Armed Forces to make training films.
1940: Release of Pinocchio and Fantasia
In 1940, 'Pinocchio' and 'Fantasia' were released, and neither performed well at the box office.
1940: Public Stock Offering
In 1940, Disney and his brother Roy started the company's first public stock offering.
March 1941: Offering Services to Government
In March 1941 Walt Disney held a luncheon with Government representatives formally offering his services for national defence industries at cost and without profit.
1941: Release of Dumbo
In 1941, Walt Disney released "Dumbo", another animated film that contributed to the development of the animated film industry.
1941: Animators' Strike and Dumbo Release
In 1941, heavy salary cuts led to an animators' strike that lasted five weeks. The strike temporarily interrupted the studio's next production, Dumbo, which was produced in a simple and inexpensive manner; the film received a positive reaction from audiences and critics alike.
August 1942: Release of Bambi
In August 1942, the feature film 'Bambi' was released, but underperformed at the box office, losing $200,000.
1942: Release of Bambi
In 1942, Walt Disney released "Bambi", another animated film that furthered the development of animated film.
1943: Release of Victory Through Air Power
In 1943, Disney released the propaganda feature film 'Victory Through Air Power'. Disney also produced shorts such as Der Fuehrer's Face which won an Academy Award.
1944: Donation to Thomas E. Dewey's Presidential Bid
In 1944, Walt Disney became a generous donor to Thomas E. Dewey's bid for the presidency.
1944: Motion Picture Alliance Formation
In 1944, the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals, an anti-Communist organization, was formed, and Walt Disney associated himself with the organization, leading to accusations of antisemitism, despite his distancing himself from it later.
1947: Disney Distances Himself
In 1947, Walt Disney distanced himself from the Motion Picture Alliance and had no further involvement with the organization.
1947: End of Disney voicing Mickey Mouse
In 1947, Walt Disney stopped providing the voice for Mickey Mouse, having distanced himself from the animation process.
1948: True-Life Adventures Series
In 1948, Disney initiated a series of live-action nature films, titled True-Life Adventures, with 'Seal Island' the first. The film won the Academy Award in the Best Short Subject (Two-Reel) category.
1949: Move to Holmby Hills and Carolwood Pacific Railroad Creation
In 1949, Walt Disney and his family moved to a new home in Holmby Hills, Los Angeles. Soon after, Disney developed a miniature live steam railroad for his backyard, named the Carolwood Pacific Railroad.
1950: Release of Cinderella
In 1950, Walt Disney released "Cinderella", a critically successful animated film.
1950: Television Special
In Christmas Day 1950 the studio had been involved in a successful television special about the making of Alice in Wonderland.
1950: Release of Cinderella and Treasure Island
In early 1950, Disney produced 'Cinderella', his studio's first animated feature in eight years and it earned nearly $8 million in its first year. Also in 1950, Disney was involved in his first entirely live-action feature, 'Treasure Island', which was shot in Britain.
March 1951: Shareholder Letter on Television
In a March 1951 letter to shareholders, Roy Disney wrote that "television can be a most powerful selling aid for us, as well as a source of revenue. It will probably be on this premise that we enter television when we do".
1951: Release of Alice in Wonderland
In 1951, Disney released the full-length animated feature, 'Alice in Wonderland'.
March 1952: Zoning Permission for Theme Park
In March 1952, Disney received zoning permission to build a theme park in Burbank, near the Disney studios. The site proved too small, and a larger plot in Anaheim was purchased.
1952: Production of The Story of Robin Hood
In 1952, Disney produced The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men, which was shot in Britain.
1953: Release of Peter Pan
In 1953, Disney released the full-length animated feature 'Peter Pan'.
July 1954: Construction of Disneyland Started
In July 1954, construction work started on Disneyland.
1954: Walt Disney's Disneyland Broadcast
In 1954, ABC broadcast Walt Disney's Disneyland, an anthology consisting of animated cartoons, live-action features and other material from the studio's library. The show was successful in terms of ratings and profits.
April 1955: Newsweek on Walt Disney's Disneyland
In April 1955, Newsweek called the series Walt Disney's Disneyland an "American institution".
July 1955: Disneyland Opened
In July 1955, Disneyland opened; the opening ceremony was broadcast on ABC, which reached 70 million viewers.
1955: Involvement in "Man in Space" and Lady and the Tramp
In 1955, Walt Disney was involved in the creation of "Man in Space," an episode of the Disneyland series produced in collaboration with NASA's Wernher von Braun. During the same year, he also oversaw aspects of the full-length feature film Lady and the Tramp, noted as the first animated film made in CinemaScope.
1955: Audubon Medal
In 1955, the National Audubon Society awarded Walt Disney its highest honor, the Audubon Medal, for promoting the "appreciation and understanding of nature" through his True-Life Adventures nature films.
1959: American National Exhibition Consultant
In 1959, Disney was consultant to the American National Exhibition in Moscow. Disney Studios' contribution was America the Beautiful, a 19-minute film in the 360-degree Circarama theater.
1959: Oversight of Sleeping Beauty
In 1959, Walt Disney oversaw aspects of the full-length feature film Sleeping Beauty. This movie was the first animated film created in Technirama 70 mm film.
1959: Planning the Moscow Fair
In 1959, Walt Disney was involved in planning the Moscow Fair.
1960: Winter Olympics Pageantry Committee Chairman
In 1960, Disney acted as the chairman of the Pageantry Committee for the Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California, where he designed the opening, closing, and medal ceremonies.
1960: Planning the Winter Olympics
In 1960, Walt Disney was involved in planning the Winter Olympics.
1961: Unmade Educational Short Warning About Child Molestation
In 1961, Walt Disney collaborated with the FBI on an unmade educational short warning children about the dangers of child molestation.
1961: Oversight of One Hundred and One Dalmatians
In 1961, Walt Disney oversaw aspects of the full-length feature film One Hundred and One Dalmatians. This movie was the first animated feature film to use Xerox cels.
1962: Celebrity Sports Center Sole Owner
In 1962, Disney and Roy bought out the other investors in the Celebrity Sports Center, making the Disney company the sole owner.
1963: Oversight of The Sword in the Stone
In 1963, Walt Disney oversaw aspects of the full-length feature film The Sword in the Stone.
1963: Theme Park Project in St. Louis
In 1963, Walt Disney presented a project to create a theme park in downtown St. Louis, Missouri. He initially reached an agreement with the Civic Center Redevelopment Corp, but the deal later collapsed over funding.
1964: Production of Mary Poppins and CalArts Expansion Plans
In 1964, Walt Disney produced Mary Poppins, a film based on the book series by P. L. Travers, for which he had been trying to acquire the rights since the 1940s. It became Disney's most successful film of the 1960s, though Travers disliked the adaptation. Also in 1964, Disney became involved in plans to expand the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) and commissioned blueprints for a new building.
1964: Exhibits for the 1964 New York World's Fair
In 1964, Walt Disney provided four exhibits for the New York World's Fair: It's a Small World for PepsiCo, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, Carousel of Progress, and Ford's Magic Skyway. These exhibits were funded by corporate sponsors and featured innovative concepts and technology that were later re-installed in Disneyland.
1964: Release of Mary Poppins
In 1964, Walt Disney released "Mary Poppins", which received five Academy Awards.
1964: Planning the New York World's Fair
In 1964, Walt Disney was involved in planning the New York World's Fair.
1965: Development of Disney World and EPCOT
In 1965, Walt Disney began developing Disney World, including the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EPCOT).
1965: Plans for Disney World Announced
In late 1965, Walt Disney announced plans to develop another theme park called "Disney World" near Orlando, Florida. This project was envisioned to include the Magic Kingdom, golf courses, resort hotels, and the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (EPCOT).
1966: Cultivation of Businesses for EPCOT and Story Credit in Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N.
During 1966, Walt Disney cultivated businesses willing to sponsor EPCOT. Also in 1966, he received a story credit in the film Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N. as Retlaw Yensid.
1967: Involvement in The Jungle Book and The Happiest Millionaire
In 1967, Walt Disney was heavily involved in the story development of The Jungle Book and The Happiest Millionaire.
1968: Involvement in Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day
In 1968, Walt Disney was heavily involved in the story development of the animated short Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day.
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