When was Disney founded?
Disney was founded on October 16, 1923, by brothers Walt and Roy O. Disney in Los Angeles. It was first called the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio.
Walt Disney had moved from Kansas City to Hollywood hoping to work in animation. He and his older brother Roy signed a contract to produce a series of short films called the Alice Comedies, which mixed live action with cartoons. That deal marks the founding of the company.
The studio soon became the Walt Disney Studio. After losing the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in 1928, Walt and animator Ub Iwerks created Mickey Mouse, who became the company's biggest star.
From studio to giant
Disney released the first full-length cel-animated feature, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, in 1937 and opened Disneyland in 1955. Today The Walt Disney Company owns Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, ESPN and more, and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2023.
Did You Know?
Roy O. Disney handled the business side for decades and oversaw the opening of Walt Disney World in 1971, after Walt's death.