1925 - Legendary singer-songwriter Mel Tormé, best known for co-writing "The Christmas Song", is born in Chicago, Illinois. He will write the song "County Fair" for Disney's 1948 live-action So Dear to My Heart and in 1996 record and release A&E: An Evening With Mel Tormé Live From the Disney Institute.

1929 - A special afternoon event takes place at the Fox Dome Theater in Ocean Park, California. Walt Disney, Ub Iwerks, and Carl Stalling (Disney's musical director) give a live presentation on how the Mickey Mouse shorts are created.

1941 - Walt Disney's father Elias passes away in Los Angeles, California at the age of 82.

1942 - Original Mouseketeer Judy Harriet Spiegelman is born in Los Angeles, California. A veteran performer with over 8 years of experience before becoming a Mouseketeer, she will be signed to a seven-year contract with the Disney Studios.

1977 - Conductor Leopold Stokowski passes away in his house in Hampshire, England, at age 95. In 1940, Stokowski made the famous film Fantasia together with Walt Disney, in which cartoon figures move in ballet-like sequences to classical music.

1979 - Animator Don Bluth quits Disney and takes a third of the top artists with him. (Often controversial, Bluth will become Disney's most serious rival since Max Fleischer!)

1981 - The TV series Disney's Wonderful World airs for the last time on NBC. Starting on September 26, the series will be called simply Walt Disney and air on CBS.

1996 - The campy and glamorous Mistress of the Dark, Elvira, hosts a wild Friday the 13th party at Disney-MGM Studios.

1996 - Latin Rhythm Nights kicks off with Marc Anthony at Pleasure Island, Florida.

1997 - The Themed Entertainment Association presents its 1997 THEA Awards at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Among the winners is Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean.

1999 - Members of Disney's stage show The Lion King perform "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" on ABC-TV's Good Morning America.

2001 - Disney World enters what they call "Level 5 Hurricane Preparedness" as tropical storm Gabrielle threatens Florida.

2001 - Out of respect for the victim's of the September 11th terrorists attack, Disney World's New Year's Eve celebration (held nightly at Pleasure Island) is again cancelled.

2001 - Actress Dorothy McGuire, known for her roles in many live-action Disney films such as Summer Magic, Swiss Family Robinson, and Old Yeller, passes at the age of 85 in Los Angeles, California.

2001 - Singer-actress Maya Days steps into the role of Aida for the first time in Disney's Broadway musical Aida. She is the second actress to portray the lead character.

2002 - The Lizzie McGuire episode "Movin' On Up" debuts on Disney Channel.

2005 - Pooh's Heffalump Halloween (an all-new original movie) is released direct to DVD and VHS.

2007 - Disney World's Haunted Mansion reopens after a summer refurbishment ... just in time for the Halloween season.

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