1894 - Actor, comedian, and voice artist Billy Bletcher, the voice of Clown in Disney's 1941 classic Dumbo, is born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Bletcher's work with Disney will begin with the 1933 Three Little Pigs as the voice of the Big Bad Wolf, and later supply the voice for Pegleg Pete (an anthropomorphic cat) and numerous other characters in countless shorts. (Bletcher is also among the midgets in Laurel & Hardy's 1934 Babes in Toyland and troupes with the Munchkins in the 1939 classic film The Wizard of Oz. Our Gang fans may remember him as Spanky's dad!)

1934 - Animator Frank Thomas joins the Disney Studios as employee number 224. He will go on to animate dozens of feature films and shorts until his retirement in 1978. (He will become one of Walt's "Nine Old Men" and a Disney Legend!)

1936 - Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets and the voice of Kermit the Frog, is born James Maury Henson in Greenville, Mississippi. Henson will first name his puppets, "Muppets," in 1954 while working as a producer of the Washington, D.C. TV show, Sam and Friends. (Sadly in May 1990, Henson will suddenly pass away at the age of 53 while in negotiations with Disney.)

1937 - Disney's Mickey Mouse cartoon "Hawaiian Holiday" is released.

1947 - Major Harry Colebourn, the soldier whose pet bear became the inspiration for A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh, passes away in Canada.

1948 - Actor and Saturday Night Live star Phil Hartman is born in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. His Disney credits include the voice of SIR for Disney World's Alien Encounter (1992-1996), the 1990 TV series Tale Spin and the 1987 animated film The Brave Little Toaster. (TV fans will also remember Hartman for his role on the comedy series NewsRadio.)

1953 - Roy Disney learns that prospective financiers in New York for Disneyland want to meet next week. He contacts his brother Walt, asking for a visual presentation to take.

1959 - The last episode of the Disney-produced TV show Zorro airs.

1961 - Sunday: Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color makes its debut in color and on NBC for its 8th season on television. The episode consists of "An Adventure in Color," "Donald in Mathmagicland," and a brand new character called Professor Ludwig Von Drake. (Before this, the show had been called Disneyland and then Walt Disney Presents - both broadcast on ABC.)

1973 - Construction begins on a one story pavilion to house General Electric's Carousel of Progress (an attraction shipped in from Disneyland) at Disney World's Tomorrowland.

1982 - Previews begin for the not-yet-opened EPCOT Center in Florida. On this evening, Cast Members and their families are invited to the new park (which will officially debut October 1) from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.

1983 - The TV series Walt Disney (which originated on ABC as Disneyland) airs for the last time on CBS with the episode "Walt Disney's Mickey and Donald." (Three years later the series will be revived on ABC as The Disney Sunday Movie.)

1984 - Disney's new executive team - which now includes Chairman & CEO Michael Eisner - is voted in at a meeting of the board. A celebration is later held at the Lakeside Country Club.

1985 - The Lotus Blossom Cafe restaurant opens in EPCOT's China Pavilion.

1992 - The very first Official Disneyana Convention takes place at Walt Disney World. Although enthusiasts around the world have organized conventions in the past, this marks the first time that the Disney Company itself sponsors the 4-day event (held at Disney's Contemporary Resort).

1993 - The ABC-TV series Boy Meets World premieres. (Years later it will become a Disney Channel favorite.)

1998 - The sky above the Seven Seas Lagoon fill with fireworks and music as Disney World joins forces with the American Pyrotechnics Association to launch Disney's Rock 'n Rockets (for the next 2 nights). This first-ever event is held in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the association and features the latest in fireworks technology along with a collection of classic displays. Accompanying the fireworks show is live musical performances by Kenny Loggins (on September 24) and the B52's along with 10,000 Maniacs (on September 25).

1998 - Michael Eisner's book Work in Progress is published.

1999 - Previews begin for the London West End production of Disney's musical "The Lion King" at the Lyceum Theatre.

1999 - Disney Channel's half-hour original series The Jersey debuts.

2001 - Tapestry of Dreams opens at Epcot (replacing Tapestry of Nations).

2003 - The University of Maryland honors Muppet creator Jim Henson by holding a dedication ceremony. A life-sized statue of Henson (a University of Maryland alumnus), conversing with one of his favorite creations, Kermit the Frog, is dedicated in front of the Adele Stamp Student Union on the College Park campus.

2004 - Disneyland debuts "Mysteries, Myths, and Legends Tour" - an interactive tour that allows guests to be a part of a fictional storyline woven by the host.

2006 - The cruise ship Disney Wonder makes its inaugural visit to St. Kitts and Nevis. The 2,600 passenger capacity vessel docks at Port Zante at 7:00 a.m., its fifth stop on an eleven night South Caribbean cruise.

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