1907 - Bernhard August "Hardie" Gramatky, Jr., one of the great American watercolorists (as well as an author & illustrator), is born in Dallas, Texas. He will start his career in animation working at Disney from 1929-1936. Gramatky will be best known for his classic children's book, Little Toot. Nine years after it is first published, Little Toot will be animated by the Disney Studio and be included as one of the seven musical segments in the feature Melody Time.

1926 - Actress Jane Withers, best known for being one of the most popular child film stars of the 1930s and early 1940s, is born in Atlanta, Georgia. She is one of the voices of Laverne the gargoyle for Disney's 1996 The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Actress Mary Wickes is also the voice of Laverne, but sadly passed away during production. Withers provided the remaining dialogue, and later the voice for Laverne in The Hunchback of Notre Dame II.

1946 - Disney's short Pluto's Kid Brother is released.

1964 - At the soon-to-be-open World's Fair in New York, Walt Disney, Henry Ford Jr., and Robert Moses (president of the New York World's Fair Corporation) visit the Ford Pavilion. The three are photographed by the press riding the "Magic Skyway."

1987 - The Wonderful World of Disney airs "Bride of Boogedy" - about a family of practical jokers who are haunted by a ghost.

1992 - The Euro Disney Resort, featuring the Euro Disneyland park, opens in France, east of Paris. Inaugural ceremonies are broadcast to the entire continent by five national networks. Although 500,000 visitors are expected, only 50,000 are admitted because of protests from French people who fear their culture will be damaged by Euro Disney. Power cables are vandalized by French citizens, which black out the road signs to Disneyland on the motorway. Euro Disney also premieres its 5 hotels (Hotel Cheyenne, Santa Fe, Newport Bay Club, Hotel New York and Disneyland Hotel) and a campground - Davy Crockett Ranch - located several miles away from the main resort area.

1993 - One year after its opening, Euro Disneyland welcomes its 10.5-millionth guest.

1995 - In Florida, the Polynesian's Papeete Bay Verandah, opened since 1971, becomes the 'Ohana restaurant - featuring the world's largest fire pit.

1995 - The Los Angeles production of Beauty and the Beast opens at the Shubert Theatre. Most of the Original Broadway Cast including Susan Egan, Terrence Mann, Gary Beach, Beth Fowler, Burke Moses & Tom Bosley reprise their roles for the production.

1996 - Disney's claymation and live action movie, James and the Giant Peach (featuring the voices of Paul Terry, Richard Dreyfuss and Susan Sarandon) is released in U.S. theaters. It is based on the story by Roald Dahl (author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.)

1997 - Carl Barks - the genius behind the creation of Scrooge McDuck and the cartoonist who drew the comic book version of Donald Duck - celebrates his 96th birthday at a special weekend event at Walt Disney World.

2005 - Disney releases 4 live-action features from the past to DVD. They include the 1966 Lt. Robin Crusoe, the 1967 The Adventures Of Bullwhip Griffin, and the 1971 films The Barefoot Executive and Million Dollar Duck.

2007 - Hilton Hotels Corp. breaks ground for a resort development adjacent to Walt Disney World Resort.

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