November 30th - Daily Disney History

1835 - Writer & humorist Mark Twain is born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in the small town of Florida, Missouri. (He will be raised in Hannibal, Missouri.) Walt Disney admired Twain's writing. Tom Sawyer Island - based on Twain's classic The Adventures of Tom Sawyer - is the only Disneyland attraction that Walt personally designed! Disneyland also features the Mark Twain Riverboat, which takes guests on a 12-minute journey around the Rivers of America. Both Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disneyland have versions of the Mark Twain Riverboat as well. In Florida, Mr. Twain appears in Epcot's Audio-Animatronic stage show The American Adventure, and the Magic Kingdom features a version of Tom Sawyer Island (located in Frontierland).

1918 - Red Cross volunteer Walt Disney, aboard the SS Vaubin (a converted cattle boat) arrives in Cherbourg, France. Although an armisitice has been signed ending the world war, the volunteers are in France to aid in the occupation. The harbor in Cherbourg is clogged by a sunken boat, so the Vaubin steams to Le Havre (a city in Normandy on the English Channel). Walt and the others disembark in Le Havre and are put on a train for Paris.

1927 - Actor Robert Guillaume, the voice of Rafiki in The Lion King animated films, is born in St. Louis, Missouri. He also appears in the 1994 television specials The Making of 'The Lion King' and Disney's Young Musicians Symphony Orchestra. (TV fans will know Guillaume from the series Soap, Benson, & Sports Night.)

1935 - Disney's Silly Symphony cartoon Cock o' the Walk, directed by Ben Sharpsteen, is released.

1955 - The Mickey Mouse Club airs on ABC-TV. Today is Anything Can Happen Day.

1955 - The Disneyland television series airs episode 32 - "The Story of the Animated Drawing," hosted by Walt Disney himself. This is the first of what will be three episodes based on Disney's "The Art of Animation" book. (Actually at the time of airing, the "Art of Animation" hasn't been published yet and so the book Walt is reading from on camera is just a prop!)

1966 - Walt Disney (weeks after undergoing surgery) collapses at his California home. He is revived by medics and readmitted to St. Joseph's Hospital in Burbank.

1978 - Nita Booth, a member of Disney Channel's The All New Mickey Mouse Club, is born in Virginia.

1979 - Disney veteran Dick Huemer passes away at St. Joseph's Hospital in Burbank, California. An animator, comic strip artist, director, & writer, his long list of credits include The Wise Little Hen, Fantasia, Dumbo, The Reluctant Dragon, The Story of Anyburg U.S.A., and Alice in Wonderland. (Huemer will be named a Disney Legend in 2007.)

1986 - The TV series The Wonderful World of Disney airs the episode "Sunday Drive."

1997 - The Wonderful World of Disney airs "New Herbie The Love Bug" on ABC-TV.

2001 - For the first time ever, the Disney World Resort in Florida shares with Toronto's Cavalcade of Lights, the Walt Disney World Fireworks Spectacular. Cavalcade of Lights has kicked off the festive season in the heart of Toronto for the last 35 years with an evening of twinkling lights and dazzling ice-skating. This season the multi-media event will take viewers on a journey through the past hundred years of Disney magic with giant moving images projected on the Sheraton Centre Hotel tower, choreographed fireworks, and symphonic music.

2001 - A California couple become engaged atop the Sun Wheel at Disney's California Adventure.

2001 - The Lizzie McGuire episode "Lizzie and Kate's Big Adventure" debuts on Disney Channel.

2002 - A charity auction takes place in Paris as part of the 10-year Euro Disney celebration.

2003 - Mousefest 2003 (the largest Walt Disney World gathering of Disney fans from around the Internet) begins in Florida. The 9-day event encompasses about 24 online communities such as All Ears Net, Passporter, Mousesavers, WDWMAGIC, Disney Dollarless, and MousePlanet.

2003 - It is reported that Roy E. Disney (the nephew of Walt Disney and son of Roy O. Disney) has resigned from the Walt Disney Company.

2004 - Disney's newest musical show On The Record begins performances in Chicago at The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. The touring production will perform through December 12.

2004 - Mickey's Jingle Jungle Parade (a special holiday season parade) debuts at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom.

2004 - The Hollywood premiere of the Mary Poppins 40th anniversary DVD takes place at the El Capitan Theater in California.

2005 - A purebred Beagle named Nutmeg (or "Meg" for short) is born in California. This pup has the distinction of having an unusual "Hidden Mickey," approximately two-and-a-half inches long on the top of her head! At nine-months of age, the natural "Mickey" markings will enable Meg to help Disneyland celebrate the "tail end" of their 50th Anniversary Celebration.

2007 - High School Musical star Vanessa Hudgens visits Ocean Drive Magazine (a premiere publication for South Florida) to promote the program Best Buddies. Best Buddies provides employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

2007 - At Disney World, singer Jessica Simpson tapes the finale performance for the 24th annual "Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade," which is scheduled to air December 25.

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