November 20th - Daily Disney History

1940 - Singer Tony Butala is born in Sharon, Pennsylvania. Known as the lead singer for the vocal group The Lettermen since 1958, as a youngster he supplied the voice of Slightley - one of the Lost Boys in Disney's 1953 Peter Pan.

1946 - A press screening for Disney's Song of the South takes place in New York.

1948 - Samuel E. Wright, the voice of Sebastian for Disney's 1989 animated classic The Little Mermaid, is born in Camden, South Carolina. The original lead actor for Mufasa in The Lion King, the Broadway version of Disney's classic animated feature, Wright also provided the voice of Kron for Disney's Dinosaur.

1957 - The Disneyland TV series airs the episode "The Best Doggoned Dog in the World," featuring Walt and actress Dorothy McGuire (one of the stars of Old Yeller).

1959 - The TV series Walt Disney Presents airs "El***o Baca: Mustang Man, Mustang Maid." It is the 8th of a 10-part mini-series starring Robert Loggia.

1960 - Walt Disney Presents airs part 1 of "Moochie of Pop Warner Football."

1963 - Disney's live-action feature film The Incredible Journey (the story of three pets, a cat and two dogs, who lose their owners when they are all on vacation) is generally released.

1963 - Actress Ming-Na, the voice of Mulan in both Mulan and Mulan II, is born in Coloane Island, Macau, China.

1977 - The Wonderful World of Disney airs the episode "The Mouseketeers at Walt Disney World" on NBC-TV.

1989 - Disney adds a $10 bill with Minnie on it to their Disney Dollars (originally issued two years earlier).

1989 - Actor Cody Linley is born in Texas. He appears on Disney Channel's Hannah Montana as Jake Ryan, and on That's So Raven. Linley was also one of the hosts for the 2008 Disney Channel Games.

1993 - The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame Plaza (an outdoor exhibit featuring busts of notable celebrities) opens at Disney-MGM.

1996 - Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame is released in France.

1999 - The Disney Channel Original Movie Horse Sense, starring brothers Joey Lawrence and Andrew Lawrence, debuts.

2003 - The Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater in the Walt Disney Concert Hall in California, hosts a presentation of Walt Disney's Alice Comedies.

2004 - ASIFA Hollywood (a worldwide organization dedicated to the art of animation) saves several walls in a home once owned by the late Disney Legend Dick Huemer. Huemer's son Richard alerts ASIFA who is able to negotiate with the demolition company to save two bedroom walls which feature original artwork by Huemer of classic Disney characters.

2005 - Disney's Broadway hit The Lion King performs show number 3,347!

2007 - Walt Disney Records releases the soundtrack to the new animated/live-action movie musical, Enchanted. The recording features songs by Academy Award Winners Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz with original score by Menken. Included among the 15 tracks is the song "Ever Ever After" sung by Carrie Underwood. It is the only original song in the film not sung onscreen. (Enchanted will open in theaters the next day.)

2007 - Also released, by Walt Disney Records, is the 6-disc set High School Musical Hits Collection featuring 5 CDS & 1 DVD.

2007 - Scribner (a division of Simon & Schuster) releases the book Born Standing Up: A Comic's Life by Steve Martin. A memoir of his life, the comic-turned-actor/director describes his young years selling guidebooks at the newly-opened Disneyland. In the decade that followed, Martin worked in Disney's magic shop, print shop, and theater!

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