Walt Disney

Walter Elias "Walt" Disney (/ˈdɪzni/; December 5, 1901 – December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. He was one of the important pioneers of the Golden Age of American animation, introducing many innovative techniques to cartoon production. As a filmmaker, he holds the record for most Academy Awards (22) and nominations (59). He has also received two Golden Globe Special Achievement Awards and an Emmy Award among many other honors. Many of his works have been included in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress and have been selected by the American Film Institute as one of the greatest films in film history. Disney was born in Chicago in 1901 and grew up mainly in Missouri. He became interested in painting at an early age. He received art training as a child and started working as a commercial illustration at the age of 18. In the early 1920s, he moved to California and co-founded the Disney Brothers Studio (later developed into the Walt Disney Company) with his brother Roy O. Disney. In 1928, he co-created the character Mickey Mouse with Ub Iwerks, which became his first popular masterpiece; Disney himself also voiced Mickey Mouse in early productions. As the studio grew, he continued to make creative and technical breakthroughs, promoting innovations in synchronized sound, Technicolor, full-length animated filmmaking, and photography. Relevant achievements are reflected in works such as "Snow White" (1937), "Pinocchio" and "Fantasia" (both 1940), "Dumbo" (1941) and "Bambi" (1942), which have a profound impact on the development of animated films. After World War II, he continued to produce animated and live-action films, including "Cinderella" (1950), "Sleeping Beauty" (1959) and "Mary Poppins Returns" (1964), the latter of which won five Academy Awards. In the 1950s, Disney entered the theme park industry and opened Disneyland in Anaheim, California in 1955. To raise funds, he also expanded into television shows such as "Walt Disney's Disneyland" and "The Mickey Mouse Club." In addition, he participated in the planning of the United States National Exhibition (1959 Moscow Exhibition), the 1960 Winter Olympics, and the 1964 New York World's Fair.