1905 - Comic actor Richard Haydn, the voice of the caterpillar in Disney's 1951 classic Alice in Wonderland, is born in London, England. Known for playing eccentric characters, Haydn's American TV credits include episodes of The Twilight Zone, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and Bewitched.

1909 - Walt Disney's grandmother Mary Richardson Disney passes away in Ellis, Kansas.

1935 - An article titled "Mickey Mouse Emerges As Economist" is published in this day's issue of The New York Times. Readers are told-
New applause is heard for Mickey Mouse rising high above the general acclaim for him that already rings throughout the earth. The fresh cheering is for Mickey the Big Business Man, the world's super-salesman.

1938 - Disney is twice awarded at the 1937 Academy Awards presented at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. The Disney/RKO cartoon short The Old Mill (Short Subjects, Cartoon) wins an Academy Award, and Walt Disney Productions takes home an Oscar for the design and use of its unqiue multiplane camera. The multiplane uses stacked panes of glass each painted with different elements of the animation. It allows the animators to re-use the same background, foreground, or any elements not in motion ... thus saving hours of labor. Although Walt Disney Studio Music Deaprtment is nominated for Best Music Score (for Snow White), Universal Studio Music Department takes home the Oscar (for One Hundred Men and a Girl).

1948 - Disney's Bambi is awarded 2 Special Golden Globe Awards "for furthering the influence of the screen" and "for the Hindustani version of the movie."

1953 - Africa USA, a wildlife tourist attraction in Boca Raton, Florida, opens its doors to the public. A unique theme park (before its time), Walt Disney himself will frequently visit and even consider purchasing the 300-acre site. (Africa USA will close in September 1961.)

1955 - U.S. President Eisenhower calls Walt Disney to congratulate him on the previous night's TV broadcast of "Man in Space." Eisenhower asks for a copy of it to show the generals in the Pentagon.

1963 - The TV series Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color airs "The Horse With the Flying Tail."

1978 - The live-action Disney feature Return from Witch Mountain is released. Starring Bette Davis, Christopher Lee, Kim Richards, Ike Eisenmann, and Jack Soo, it is a sequel to the 1975 Escape to Witch Mountain.

1985 - Today is General Electric's last day as corporate sponsor of Disney World's Carousel of Progress. GE's association with the attraction goes all the way back to the 1964-65 New York World's Fair.

1992 - Actress/singer Emily Osment - Lilly Truscott on Disney Channel's Hannah Montana - is born in Los Angeles, California. Osment also recorded a remake version of the song "If I Didn't Have You" (with Mitchel Musso) for the DisneyMania 6 CD.

2001 - The animated Disney's House of Mouse debuts episode 8 "Jiminy Cricket."

2001 - A rare reunion of original stars of the 1950s television series the "Mickey Mouse Club" is held at Pardini's in Fresno, California. Proceeds of the event benefit the Center for Independent Living, a local organization that assists those with disabilities.

2001 - In celebration of the opening of Disney's California Adventure, Disney presents the "Artist's Choice" Pin of the Month Program with the "Tattoo Surf" pin. On the second Saturday of each month, (excluding February) a different pin will be released from the series.

2001 - The "Nanea" (which means tranquil) volcano-themed pool at Disney World's Polynesian Resort replaces the original grotto pool. The new swimming hole includes underwater music.

2003 - It is reported that Disney World's Swan and Dolphin hotels are being redecorated in an effort to make all 2,300 rooms more luxurious. (The properties, owned by Tishman Hotel Corp. and managed by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, are aimed largely at business travelers.) The overhaul is being directed by Michael Graves, the 13-year-old hotels' original architect who designed the hotels' exterior landmarks.

2004 - The Florida Department of Environmental Protection presents its new Green Lodgings awards to Disney World's Coronado Springs and Boardwalk Resorts. (They are two of the first four hotels in Florida to receive the awards.) The honor is given to hotel properties that feature innovative and imaginative programs to conserve natural resources, reduce waste, minimize pollution and reduce costs.

2005 - An open letter to the Walt Disney Company Board of Directors written by Roy E. Disney and Stanley P. Gold is released. They question the process being used to find a successor for departing CEO Michael Eisner.

2006 - The Walt Disney Company holds their annual meeting of shareholders in Anaheim, California. It is the first gathering under the leadership of CEO Robert Iger.

2006 - Disney releases the live-action feature film The Shaggy Dog, starring Tim Allen. (It is a remake of the 1959 film.)

2006 - The Disney sister act Aly & AJ appear on ABC-TV's Live with Regis and Kelly to promote their album Into the Rush.

2008 - Soft openings for Pixar Play Parade kick off at Disney's California Adventure. Scheduled for a March 14 debut, the parade will run through the summer.

2008 - Dave Stevens, a celebrated illustrator and comics artist best known for his creation The Rocketeer, passes away at age 52. Stevens first began developing a Rocketeer film proposal in 1985 and later sold the rights to the Walt Disney Company, which produced the 1991 live-action feature The Rocketeer.

2009 - The 70th anniversary edition of Pinocchio is released on DVD and Blu-ray.

2009 - Disney officially launches "D23" - their first official fan organization.

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