1784 - Zachary Taylor, the twelfth United States President, is born in a log cabin in Montebello, near Barboursville in Orange County, Virginia. Visit him and all the U.S. Chief Executives at Disney World's Hall of Presidents.

1826 - Carlo Lorenzini, better known as Carlo Collodi, Italian author of Pinocchio, is born in Florence, Tuscany (Italy).

1888 - Actress Cathleen Nesbitt is born Cheshire, England. Fans of Disney's 1961 The Parent Trap will recognize her as Louise McKendrick.

1941 - After suffering a strike and declining revenue because of the war in Europe, Walt Disney's studio is in trouble. Disney animator Ward Kimball notes in his diary for this day: "100 layoffs announced. Studio personnel from 1600 down to 300. Geez, Is this the writing on the wall?" (Disney will save itself by doing defense films for the army & with the post-war release of Cinderella - be back on top.)

1942 - Actor Billy Connolly, the voice of Ben in Disney's 1995 release Pocahontas, is born in Scotland.

1950 - The Disney cartoon Morris, the Midget Moose, directed by Charles A. Nichols, is released.

1954 - The Disneyland television series airs its 5th episode on ABC with the 1949 movie "So Dear To My Heart," starring Burl Ives.

1955 - The Mickey Mouse Club airs on ABC-TV on this Thanksgiving Day. Today is Circus Day.

1955 - Over at Disneyland, the park debuts its "Christmas at Disneyland Festival" (which will run through January 8, 1956).

1956 - The second of eight installments titled "My Dad, Walt Disney," by Diane Disney Miller as told to Pete Martin (a "celebrity friendly" writer) appears in the Saturday Evening Post.

1968 - Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color airs part 1 of "The Treasure of San Bosco Reef."

1990 - English novelist and playwright Dorothy Gladys "Dodie" Smith passes away at age 94. Smith is best known for her 1956 novel "The Hundred and One Dalmatians" which was adapted into the Disney animated film One Hundred and One Dalmatians. The story was inspired by her very own Dalmatian named Pongo!

1994 - At Disney's Epcot, "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience," a multi-media 3-D movie experience, opens. (It replaces Captain EO at the Journey into Imagination Pavilion.)

1999 - At Epcot, The Global Neighborhood - Spaceship Earth's post show - is replaced with The New Global Neighborhood.

2000 - Disney's feature film 102 Dalmatians is generally released.

2003 - The Orlando Sentinel reports that Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa's Victoria & Albert's has been named Central Florida's only AAA five-diamond restaurant.

2004 - The Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights returns to Disney-MGM Studios for the 2004 holiday season.

2005 - Mickey Mouse and friends take to the streets of Broadway spreading holiday cheer to millions, as Walt Disney World Resort joins the 79th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. LeAnn Rimes and Disney characters ride aboard the "S.S. Celebration" Showboat float, a replica of the riverboats of yesteryear. At 33 feet tall, the Showboat is the largest vessel to ever float down the parade route!

2006 - Epcot's annual Holidays Around the World kicks off in Florida.

2007 - Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Rob Thomas poses with Santa Goofy on Santa's Sleigh at the Magic Kingdom in Florida. Thomas, a solo artist and lead singer of the multi-platinum-selling rock/pop group Matchbox Twenty, is on vacation with friends & family at Disney World.

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