Walt Disney Interesting Facts

Walter Elias Disney, popularly known Walt Disney, was the man who changed the fate of the American animation industry forever, by creating some of the most memorable cartoon characters of all times.  The Walt Disney Company founded by him is, today, valued at approximately $ 130 billion and is the second largest broadcasting and cable company in the world. 

Here are some interesting facts about this creative mastermind.

Interesting facts about Walt Disney

1) Walt Disney initially wanted to join the Army and dropped out of high school at the age of 16 to pursue the same.  However, his age became a barrier for him and he ended up joining the Red Cross in France as an ambulance driver.

2) The first animation studio founded by Disney was called Laugh-O-Gram, where he began narrating modernized fairy tales based on Aesop’s Fables.  This studio never made any noticeable profits and hence had to shut down eventually.

3) Today, Walt Disney is synonymous with the iconic character Mickey Mouse, but Mickey Mouse was not his first creation.  While Disney was in a contract with Universal Pictures, he created a character called Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. When Disney left Universal, he was barred from taking the character with him.

4) Walt Disney has a planet named after him.  In 1980, a Soviet astronomer, Lyudmila Karachkina, discovered a small planet and named it after Walt Disney.  The planet is called 4017-Disneya.

5) Walt Disney initially named Mickey Mouse as Mortimer Mouse, but later changed it to Mickey, after his wife suggested him Mortimer is too pretentious.

6) From the inception of Mickey Mouse in 1928 till 1947, Disney himself voiced the character.  He later handed over this responsibility to American actor Jimmy MacDonald.

7) For 2 years, Walt Disney held the patent for technicolour.  This meant he was the only person who had the rights to make animated colour films at the time.

8) Walt Disney had a secret apartment in Disneyland and it still remains unchanged.  Disney was known to spend time in this apartment. Though not open to the public, VIPs are occasionally given a tour of this space.

9) Walt Disney was nominated for 59 Oscar Awards, out of which, he won 22, the most by any individual. 

10) Walt Disney’s last words remain a mystery even today.  While on his deathbed, he wrote “Kurt Russell.” Till date, no one knows what Disney meant, not even Kurt Russell himself.  

Which of these facts about Walt Disney surprised you the most?  Comment below and let us know.