1858 - Theodore Roosevelt, the twenty-sixth United States President, is born in New York City. Visit him and all the U.S. Chief Executives at Disney World's Hall of Presidents.

1911 - Author and journalist Daniel Pratt Mannix IV is born in Pennsylvania. Mannix's best-known work, his 1967 novel "The Fox and the Hound," will be released as a Disney animated feature in 1981.

1939 - Actor & writer John Cleese is born in Somerset, England. Best known to fans of Monty Python's Flying Circus, his Disney credits include the 2004 Around the World in 80 Days (as Grizzled Sergeant), the narrator of TV's House of Mouse, and the 1996 The Wind in the Willows (as Mr. Toad's Lawyer).

1945 - Original Mouseketeer Dickie Dodd is born in Hermosa Beach, California.

1949 - Tragedy strikes when Kay Kamen (the Disney Studios' licensing representative for the last 17 years) and his wife are killed in a plane crash over the Azores. This ends one of Walt Disney's happiest collaborations. The studio's profits from merchandise are currently at an all-time new high.

1954 - Walt Disney's very first television series, Disneyland (named after his yet to be completed park) premieres on ABC with the episode "The Disneyland Story." About 30.8 million American viewers tune into what will be a TV tradition for the next 40 years. This episode is the public's first real exposure to the plans of Disneyland and the Walt Disney Studios. It also features the song "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" (sung by Fess Parker) as a coming attraction for the upcoming Crockett trilogy. (In the first six months of 1955, nearly seven million copies of the song will be sold.) The Disneyland series will go on to air for over 29 seasons under some 6 different titles.

1955 - The Mickey Mouse Club airs on ABC-TV. Today is Circus Day.

1963 - The NBC-TV series Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color airs part 1 of "The Waltz King," starring Kerwin Mathews as composer Johann Strauss Jr.

1966 - Walt Disney films a special television presentation at his studio in California - a 25-minute preview of his plans for the Florida Project - Disney World, and especially the details for EPCOT, the "experimental prototype community of tomorrow." (Walt will unfortunately pass the following December and the film will not debut on TV as intended, but instead be shown on
February 2, 1967 to Florida businesses and government officials.)

1998 - Disney's The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride is released direct-to-video.

2000 - Officials from the Disney Stores, along with Mickey and Minnie Mouse, open a second prototype Disney Store at the Cherry Hill Mall in New Jersey. The opening comes after three months of extensive renovations to the location.

2001 - The Los Angeles Times reports that the Walt Disney Company is expected to announce one of its bleakest quarters in nearly a decade (primarily due to last month's terrorist attacks).

2001 - The Orlando Sentinel reports that security measures against anthrax have reached even Disney World. The resort has emptied powdered-soap dispensers at its four theme parks and installed new ones containing liquid hand cleaner.

2002 - Disney helps kick-off the annual Toys for Tots campaign by donating toys at the world premiere of The Santa Clause 2, held at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood. (An original sponsor of Toys for Tots since its inception in 1947, Walt Disney personally designed the original Toys for Tots logo, which is still used today.)

2002 - The Disney-owned Anaheim Angels win their first World Series Championship with a 4-1 victory over the San Fancisco Giants in game 7 at Edison Field (in Anaheim).

2004 - The Boston Red Sox win their first World Series championship since 1918, with a 3-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in St. Louis. Immediately following the game, pitchers Curt Schilling and Pedro Martinez and slugger David Ortiz look into television cameras and beam the famous words: "I'm going to Disney World!" - becoming the latest sporting champions to be honored as spokespeople in the world-famous Disney commercial.

2007 - The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 6.5 K and 13K, the first night races in the Endurance Series at Walt Disney World, take place. The races are part of the celebration of the 13th Anniversary of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror attraction located at Disney-MGM Studios. The 13K (8.1 mile) road race begins and ends in the shadows of the tower!

__________________