1783 - Writer Washington Irving is born in New York City (near present-day Wall Street). He is named after General George Washington - a hero of his parents. His classic short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow will be featured in the 1949 Disney animated feature The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. (This tale and Irving's companion piece Rip Van Winkle are among the earliest American fiction still read widely today!)

1941 - Walt Disney hosts a luncheon and conference at his studio for government officials and representatives of the defense industries. With a studio strike looming, Walt feels an urgency to obtain government work.

1943 - Original Mouseketeer Doreen Tracey is born to American parents in London, England. (Some sources report her birth April 13.) Besides appearing on TV's The Mickey Mouse Club (from 1955-1959), she plays Bobo Stephen in Disney's 1956 live-action movie Westward Ho the Wagon!

1946 - Composer, arranger, and conductor Richard Bellis (who began his show business career as a child actor) is born in Pasadena, California. The music heard in Disney Studio's Tower of Terror attraction is from episodes of The Twilight Zone television series with further arrangements by Bellis. His music can also be heard in Reflections of China (the Epcot film that replaced Wonders of China).

1952 - Walt Disney submits a sketch of "Fairy Land" to California's Recreation and Parks Commissions.

1953 - Walt Disney signs a contract that will change the face of entertainment for all time. The two-page document gives Walt Disney Incorporated the right and license to use Disney's name for all commercial purposes. By signing this document, Walt will make possible the Disneyland theme park and such TV series as Walt Disney Presents and The Wonderful World of Disney.

1957 - The Disneyland television series airs "Disneyland, the Park" and "Pecos Bill."

1959 - Actor David Hyde Pierce, the voice of Dr. Doppler in Disney's 2002 animated Treasure Planet, is born in Saratoga Springs, New York. Other Disney voice credits include the feature A Bug's Life (as Slim) and the TV series Hercules. (TV fans will recognize him from the comedy series Frasier.)

1961 - Comedian turned movie star Eddie Murphy, whose Disney credits include The Haunted Mansion and Mulan, is born in Brooklyn, New York.

1973 - Actor Adam Scott - the voice of Git in Disney/Pixar's Ratatouille - is born in Santa Cruz, California.

1978 - "Candle on the Water" from Disney's Pete's Dragon is edged out for Best Song by "You Light Up My Life" at the 50th Annual Academy Awards.

1985 - The famed Brown Derby restaurant on Vine Street in Hollywood closes after a 57-year history. All of the furnishings are kept, including famous Booth #5 - where actor Clark Gable proposed to actress Carole Lombard. (A "Brown Derby" will later be built at Disney World.)

1994 - Tragedy strikes when Disney president and Chief Operating Officer Frank Wells is killed in a helicopter crash during a "heli-skiing" expedition in Nevada's Ruby Mountains. He is 62. Wells helped propel the Walt Disney Company to new success by re-establishing its leadership in animated features and by guiding it into new realms of comedy and dramatic films. His death will spark the breakup between studio chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg and Michael Eisner (and lead to the creation of Dreamworks SKG). A building constructed at The Walt Disney Studios (to house the Disney Archives) in Wells' memory will open in 1998.

1996 - The city of Anaheim and the Walt Disney Corporation agree on a deal that will keep the Angels playing baseball in Anaheim until at least the year 2018. Disney commits $88 million and the city $30 million to a 3-year renovation of Edison International Field (home of the Angels) to a more compact, baseball-only facility.

2001 - Disney's 102 Dalmatians starring Glenn Close and Jeff Daniels is released on VHS and DVD.

2001 - The Florida interchange between the Osceola Parkway and Interstate 4 opens, alleviating some of the congestion getting to Walt Disney World. (The interchange was built at a cost of $33 million. The bill was shared by Walt Disney World and Orange County.)

2007 - Anneliese van der Pol, a star of the Disney Channel hit That's So Raven, makes her Broadway debut as Belle in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. She is the 17th and final actress to play the role on Broadway as the show will close July 29 (to make room at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre for a new production of The Little Mermaid).

2007 - Disney's Hollywood Records releases Hilary Duff's newest album Dignity featuring the singles "Play with Fire," "With Love" and "Stranger."

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