This Week in Disney History (November 2-8)
1895: Director, and Disney Legend, Ben Sharpsteen (Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo) is born in Tacoma, Washington.
1896: Illustrator Gustaf Tenggren (Snow White, Bambi, Pinocchio) is born in Vastergotland, Sweden.
1910: Executive, and Disney Legend, Irving Ludwig (president of Buena Vista Distribution during his 40 years at the Walt Disney Company).
1911: Actor Leonard Slye (aka Roy Rogers) (Melody Time, Pecos Bill) is born in Cincinnati, Ohio.
1914: Actor Jonathon Harris (Manny in A Bug’s Life, Geri the Cleaner in Toy Story 2) is born in the Bronx, New York.
1916: Legendary newsman Walter Cronkite (Nearly every important news event from 1950-2000) is born in St. Joseph, Missouri.
1925: Actor Joe Flynn (Mr. Snoops in The Rescuers, The Love Bug, The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, Now You See Him, Now You Don’t, The Strongest Man in the World) is born in Youngstown, Ohio.
1933: Actor Ken Berry (The Cat From Outer Space, Herbie Rides Again) is born in Moline, Illinois.
1952: Actor Jim Cummings (voice of Pooh-and later Tigger, The Lion King, The Fox and the Hound 2, Aladdin, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Brother Bear 2, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End) is born in Youngstown, Ohio.
1957: Actor Cam Clarke (The Lion King 1 1/2, House of Mouse, The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea, The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, Underdog) is born in Burbank, California.
1962: Disney’s The Legend of Lobo (about a wolf who tries to free his mate from a group of hunters) premieres.
1963: Broadway actress Andrea McArdle (Belle in Beauty and the Beast in 1999) is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1966: A walnut-sized cancerous lump on Walt Disney‘s left lung is discovered during a trip to St. Joseph Hospital in Burbank (he puts off surgery to attend to studio business). Four days later, the doctors find that the cancer has spread and Disney has between 6 months and 2 years to live. Doctors totally remove Walt’s left lung and determine that his oversized lymph nodes are an indication that he doesn’t have long to live.
1972: Actor Christopher Daniel Barnes (Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid) is born in Portland, Maine.
1973: Disney’s 21st animated film, Robin Hood, premieres.
1977: Disney’s Pete’s Dragon (the first film with animation in which none of the “Nine Old Men” were involved) premieres.
1980: In Walt Disney World’s Frontierland, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad officially opens.
1983: Disney’s Five Mile Creek (a live-action series) debuts on the Disney Channel.
1987: Singer Paul Kevin Jonas, Jr., (the eldest brother of the Jonas Brothers) is born in Teaneck, New Jersey.
1990: In Walt Disney World, the Yacht Club Resort, sister to the Beach Club Resort, opens to guests.
1992: In Disneyland’s Tomorrowland, the Mission to Mars ride closes.
1998: In Walt Disney World’s Tomorrowland, the Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin officially opens (in the same spot that was previously occupied by If You Had Wings/If You Could Fly/Delta Dreamflight/Take Flight).
1998: Tokyo Disneyland’s Skyway (open since the park debuted) closes.
2001: Disney/Pixar’s 4th animated feature, Monsters Inc., premieres.
2001: Walt Disney Company President and COO Robert A. Iger announces that the company has acquired the Baby Einstein company.
2004: Disney/Pixar’s 6th animated feature, The Incredibles, premieres.
2005: Disney’s Chicken Little premieres.
2006: Disney’s Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause premieres.
