Walt Disney

Described as

American animator, producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor and entrepreneur, founder of The Walt Disney Company (1901–1966)

Other names

W. E. Disney, Walt E. Disney, Walter E. Disney, WE Disney, W.E. Disney, Walter Elias Disney, Disney, W. Disney, Walter Disney

Born

December 5, 1901 · 25 references

Died

December 15, 1966 · 24 references

Born in

Chicago · 6 references

Died in

Burbank · 2 references

Buried in

Forest Lawn Memorial Park

Cause of death

circulatory collapse · 1 reference

Name at birth

Walter Elias Disney

Citizen of

United States · 1 reference

Occupation

film director; film producer · 2 references; animator · 2 references; television presenter; voice actor; writer; manufacturer; painter

Political party

Republican Party (1940–); Democratic Party (–1940)

Worked for

Screen Gems (1923–1928)

Education

Kansas City Art Institute · 1 reference; McKinley High School · 1 reference; Central High School · 1 reference

Genre

family film; animated film

Known for

Mickey Mouse · 1 reference

Awards

Knight of the Legion of Honour (1935); Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (1956); Presidential Medal of Freedom (1964) · 1 reference; Grand Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria (1962); Grammy Trustees Award (1989); Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film (1959) · 1 reference; Academy Award for Best Short Subject, Two-reel (5 times) (1949, 1951, 1952, 1953, 1954) · 2 references; Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film (12 times) (1932, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1942, 1943, 1954, 1969) · 1 reference; Academy Award for Best Documentary (Short Subject) (2 times) (1954, 1956) · 2 references; Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film (2 times) (1954, 1955) · 2 references; Primetime Emmy Award for Best Producer for a Film Series (1956); Congressional Gold Medal; California Hall of Fame (2006); National Inventors Hall of Fame (2000) · 1 reference; Winsor McCay Award (1975) · 1 reference

Field

young adult literature · 1 reference

Spouse

Lillian Disney (1925–1966) · 1 reference

Children

Diane Disney Miller

Father

Elias Disney

Mother

Flora Call Disney

Siblings

Roy O. Disney · 1 reference

Religion

Congregational churches

Lived in

Kansas City (1910–1923) · 2 references; Los Angeles (1923–) · 1 reference; Marceline (1906–1910) · 1 reference; Chicago (1901–1906) · 1 reference; Walt Disney House · 1 reference

Wikipedias with a page

218

Wikidata item Q8704 (wikidata.org/wiki/Q8704), public domain (CC0). Copied November 13, 2026.

Walter Elias Disney ( DIZ-nee; December 5, 1901 – December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film producer, he holds the record for most Academy Awards won by (22) and nominated for (59) an individual. He was presented with two Golden Globe Special Achievement Awards and an Emmy Award, among other honors. Several of his films are included in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress and have also been named as some of the greatest films ever by the American Film Institute.
Born in Chicago in 1901 and raised largely in Missouri, Disney developed an early interest in drawing. He took art classes as a boy and took a job as a commercial illustrator at the age of 18. He moved to California in the early 1920s and set up the Disney Brothers Studio (now the Walt Disney Company) with his brother Roy. With Ub Iwerks, he developed the character Mickey Mouse in 1928, his first highly popular success; he also provided the voice for his creation in the early years. As the studio grew, he became more adventurous, introducing synchronized sound, full-color three-strip Technicolor, animated feature films and technical developments in cameras. The results, seen in features such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Pinocchio, Fantasia (both 1940), Dumbo (1941), and Bambi (1942), furthered the development of animated film. New animated and live-action films followed after World War II, including Cinderella (1950), Sleeping Beauty (1959), and Mary Poppins (1964), the last of which received five Academy Awards.
In the 1950s, Disney expanded into the theme park industry, and in July 1955 he opened Disneyland in Anaheim, California. To fund the project he diversified into television programs, such as Walt Disney's Disneyland and The Mickey Mouse Club. He was also involved in planning the 1959 Moscow Fair, the 1960 Winter Olympics, and the 1964 New York World's Fair. In 1965, he began development of another theme park, Disney World, the heart of which was to be a new type of city, the "Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow" (EPCOT). Disney was a heavy smoker throughout his life and died of lung cancer in 1966 before either the park or the EPCOT project were completed.
Disney was a shy, self-deprecating and insecure man in private but adopted a warm and outgoing public persona. He had high standards and high expectations of those with whom he worked. Although there have been accusations that he was racist or antisemitic, they have been contradicted by many who knew him. The historiography of Disney has taken a variety of perspectives, ranging from views of him as a purveyor of homely patriotic values to being a representative of American cultural imperialism. Widely considered to be one of the most influential cultural figures of the 20th century, Disney remains an important presence in the history of animation and in the cultural history of the United States, where he is acknowledged as a national cultural icon. His film work continues to be shown and adapted, the Disney theme parks have grown in size and number around the world and his company has grown to become one of the world's largest mass media and entertainment conglomerates.

Born, in its opening lines

December 5, 1901

Died, in its opening lines

December 15, 1966

From the Wikipedia article “Walt Disney” (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walt_Disney), by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Copied November 13, 2026; not changed.