1931 - Disney's Silly Symphony cartoon The Clock Store is released.

1934 - Actress Janet Munro is born in Blackpool, Lanacashire, England. She appears in such live-action Disney films as Swiss Family Robinson, Third Man on the Mountain, and Darby O'Gill and the Little People.

1935 - The Mickey Mouse short On Ice, directed by Ben Sharpsteen, is released.

1938 - The Fantasound surround sound system to be used in theaters for Fantasia is first tested. It is an early stereophonic sound process developed by sound engineer William E. Garity and sound mixer John N.A. Hawkins.

1947 - Actor Jeffrey Jones - the voice of Chairman L.C. Clench of XS Technology in Disney World's now extinct Alien Encounter - is born in Buffalo, New York. (Movie fans may recognize him from such films as Stuart Little, Ed Wood, and Ferris Bueller's Day Off.)

1953 - Artist Herb Ryman and Walt Disney sketch out plans for an amusement park to be built in California. Meanwhile in New York, Walt's brother Roy meets with the 3 major TV networks, seeking financing for Disneyland. Unfortunately CBS TV executives are not interested. NBC's parent company RCA, stalls in making a commitment. But ABC's Leonard Goldenson eagerly agrees to participate! (The final agreement - which won't be signed until April 1954 - will include a $500,000 investment from ABC-Paramount, guarantee for $4.5 million line of credit, in return for 35% interest in Disneyland and a weekly one-hour TV program with Disney films and production for TV.)

1955 - The ABC television series Disneyland airs the 24th episode "Jiminy Cricket Present Bongo" - the first half of the animated 1947 film, Fun and Fancy Free.

1961 - The live-action Disney film Greyfriars Bobby - based on a true story about a unique Skye terrier who affected a small town in Scotland - is released.

1962 - The third annual Dixieland at Disneyland event is held.

1963 - English teacher-turned-animation writer & producer Greg Weisman is born in Woodland Hills, California. He is famous for creating the acclaimed animated television series, Gargoyles.

1964 - Comedian & actress Janeane Garofalo - the voices of Collette in Disney/Pixar's Ratatouille and Bridget in The Wild - is born in Newton, New Jersey. (An alumni of Saturday Night Live, she's also appeared in episodes of TV's The West Wing.)

1966 - Actress Maria Canals-Barrera is born in Miami, Florida. Fans of Disney Channel know her as Therea Russo in Wizards of Waverly Place and Mitchie's mom Connie Torres in the Disney Channel Original Movie Camp Rock.

1982 - At EPCOT Center, Canada, China, and France open around the World Showcase as the park has a soft opening in preparation for its grand opening.

1982 - Annual passports (special year-long admission passes) are introduced at Walt Disney World.

1987 - Actress & recording artist Hilary Ann Duff, the star of Disney's Channel's Lizzie McGuire (between 2001-2004), is born in Houston, Texas. Her Disney credits include the 2002 Cadet Kelly (one of the highest rated Disney Channel movies) and the 2003 feature The Lizzie McGuire Movie. Duff's popular music albums are released through Disney's Hollywood Records.

1996 - Walt Disney World's Grand Prix Raceway changes its name to Tomorrowland Speedway.

1997 - Disney's long-running series (which first aired in 1954 as Disneyland) returns to ABC-TV after nearly a 7-year absence on television as The Wonderful World of Disney. The series will be hosted by CEO Michael Eisner. This first episode features the 1997 classic animated feature Toy Story.

2001 - Disney Channel debuts the Lizzie McGuire episode "Last Year's Model."

2003 - Over one hundred people attend a musical tribute at the University of California to honor Grammy and Oscar-nominated musician-composer Buddy Baker, a 28-year veteran at Disney (who passed in July 2002). From 1954 to 1983 he wrote or scored virtually every Disney TV program, numerous feature films, and beloved theme park attractions (including the Haunted Mansion and It's a Small World).

2004 - Disney's Aladdin Special Edition Soundtrack is released. The collection features all 21 original tracks plus recordings of two deleted songs ("Proud of Your Boy" and "High Adventure" written by the movie's Academy Award winning songwriting team of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman).

2004 - AOL Music First View debuts Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey's "A Whole New World" music video. The new version is from Disney's 2-disc special edition DVD of Aladdin (to be released October 5).

2004 - Disney's Hollywood Records releases Hilary Duff's new album, the self-titled Hilary Duff, on her 17th birthday. (The album will sell over 3 million copies worldwide!)

2004 - The stage musical Mary Poppins begins regular performances at the Bristol Hippodrome in England. The show (produced by Disney and Cameron Macintosh) will later move to the Prince Edward Theatre in London.

2007 - The 12th Annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival kicks off in Florida. Also, the America pavilion debuts National Treasures, an exhibit of significant artifacts from US history.

2007 - Disney's live-action comedy The Game Plan, starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, is released to theaters.

2007 - A second sneak preview of Phineas and Ferb (a new cartoon series) airs on Disney Channel with the episode "Lawn Gnome Beach Party of Terror!" - following the network debut of Disney's 2005 feature Sky High.

2008 - Disney Channel presents a 3D experience for the first time on Indian television with the premiere of Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds concert 3D movie.

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