Fact for the Day
Patriot Day occurs on September 11 of each year, designated in memory of the nearly three thousand who died in the September 11, 2001 attacks.
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1892 - Pinto Colvig, known as the 'Dean of Hollywood Voicemen' is born Vance DeBar Colvig in Jacksonville, Oregon. He will go on to lend his voice to such classic Disney characters as
Goofy,
Pluto, Sleepy & Grumpy from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and the pig who built the "house of bricks" in the Disney short Three Little Pigs.
1923 - Engineer Don Edgren is born in Los Angeles, California. His 33 years of Disney problem-solving will begin in 1954 when the engineering firm he works for will be hired to help ready Disneyland for its opening. Edgren will be hired by Disney in 1961. He will go on to help build such loved attractions as Pirates of the Caribbean and Space Mountain.
1957 - The Mellomen (a vocal group featuring Thurl Ravenscroft) appear on the Disneyland television series opener for the 4th season. This 75th episode of the overall series starts off with a celebration party from the
Mickey Mouse Club, as they help celebrate the 4th anniversary of the ABC-TV series.
1957 - Oscar-winning animator Brad Bird is born in Kalispell, Montana. He is best known for directing The Incredibles and Ratatouille.
1962 - Actress/singer E.G. Daily, the singing voice of Beary Barrington in Disney's 2002 Country Bears, is born Elizabeth Guttman in Los Angeles, California. Best known as the voice of Tommy Pickles on TV's animated Rugrats, her Disney voice credits include the animated series
Aladdin, the animated feature A
Goofy Movie, and the animated series Hercules. Movie fans may remember Daily for her role as Dottie in the live-action Pee-Wee's Big Adventure.
1968 - The United States Postal Service pays tribute to
Walt Disney with the release of a commemorative 6-cent postage stamp (issued only two years after his death). The stamp features a portrait of
Walt surrounded by the children of the world emerging from Sleeping Beauty Castle in the background. The portrait has been created by Disney artist Paul Wenzel with further design by Bob Moore. A limited number of the stamps are adhered to commemorative envelopes and hand canceled in Marceline, Missouri,
Walt's boyhood home.
Roy O. Disney,
Walt's wife
Lillian, and members of the Disney family attend a First Day of Issue Ceremony in Marceline along with the governor of Missouri - who has declared this day officially "Walt Disney Day."
1979 - Legendary animator Les Clark (the first of Disney's "Nine Old Men") dies, just 6 months after being diagnosed with cancer. He was the only one of the original 9 animators whose career spanned the silent-movie era and the age of television.
1987 - The presentation of the real Pooh (an 18"-high teddy bear given to Christopher Robin Milne in 1921) and friends (various toys received as gifts by Christopher between 1920 and 1928) to the New York Public Library takes place.
1987 - The pilot episode for Disney's DuckTales airs on television.
1988 - The Disney Sunday Movie airs for the last time on ABC. The following month the long-running television series will move to NBC and be called The Magical World of Disney.
2001 - Tuesday: Following the morning terrorist attacks on The Pentagon, New York City's World Trade Center, and in the air over Pennsylvania, The
Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, and The Disneyland Resort in California, close without incident. All the resort hotels remain open and provide accommodations to guests who are unable to leave. Phone charges are suspended so that guests can reach family. (The closures marks only the second time Disneyland has locked its gates in its 56-year history due to a national tragedy. The first time followed the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in November 1963.)
2001 - At Disney World, Cast Members in all 4 parks are instructed to hold hands and form a human wall and gently (without touching guests) walk towards the hub of each park and eventually towards the exit. This calmly forces all guests out of the park. Security follows each human wall to make sure no one gets past.
2001 - At Disneyland Resort, food and beverage stations remain open at no charge for guests who are on property. AMC Theaters at Downtown Disney show free Disney films for stranded Resort guests. (Due to the time difference, the California theme parks have been able to close before any guest can enter.)
2001 - The Disney Stores close as well for the day as do Disney's Broadway shows in New York and on the road.
2001 - Michael Eisner releases a statement to Cast Members explaining the Disney closings. He ends his note with these words: "Finally let me say our company around the world will continue to operate in this sometimes violent world in which we live, offering products that reach to the higher and more positive side of the human equation."
2002 - Disney's 3 Broadway musicals cancel this day's performances, as New York City and the rest of the country honor those lost in the terrorist attacks of 9-11.
2007 - A special flag retreat ceremony takes place in the Magic Kingdom to commemorate Patriot Day.