walt disney

Walt Disney was born in 1901 in Chicago and had a passion for animation from a young age. He co-founded the Disney Brothers Studio in 1923 and created the iconic character Mickey Mouse in 1928. Snow White, released in 1937, was the first feature-length film. Despite his successes, Disney faced criticism for racist and sexist portrayals. He built Disneyland in California in 1955 and Disney World in Florida in 1971. Disney was also known for his philanthropy, donating millions to charities, especially those for children. Hey everyone, welcome to the Weekly Whiteboard, where we talk about historical figures and their impact. We're your hosts, Addison Anderson and Kieran Velbritt. In today's episode, we'll be talking about Walt Disney. We've all heard about Disney movies, and you've probably heard about Disney theme parks, but do you know anything about Walt Disney himself? Walt was born in 1901 in Chicago, Illinois. He was one of five children and showed an interest in animation from an early age. After living in Kansas for a brief time, he moved back to Chicago in 1917, drawing for the high school newspaper. That same year, Walt drops out of high school to join the military, but he was denied access for lying about his age. Then, in 1918, he joined the American Ambulance Corps and served mostly in France during World War I. After the war ended, Walt Disney founded the Disney Brothers Studio with his brother Roy in 1923, where he worked on ideas for his first animation. Then, in the year of 1928, his most famous character was born, Mickey Mouse. Making his first appearance in the film Steamboat Willie, the film's success brought international attention to both Walt and Mickey, and paved the way for feature animations. In 1937, another popular character, Snow White, was made, making the first feature-length film and marketing a significant turning point for Walt Disney. In 1938, Walt Disney lost his mother, Flora, creating the belief that he may have used his grief for future cartoon ideas. Although he had his good, he was also often criticized for being racist and sexist due to stereotypical African American portrayal. He was also often accused of being anti-Semitic. Then, in 1955, he created his first theme park, Disneyland, which is located in California. Walt then created Disney World in 1971, but due to limited space for expansion in California, decided on putting Disney World in Florida. Disney was a philanthropic man. Walt was always giving back to the community and generously supporting many charities, especially those for children. Continuing his legacy of generosity, Walt Disney Studios has donated in excess of $233 million to charities across the globe and $140 million to underrepresented communities in 2022 alone. Thank you for listening to the weekly Lightboard podcast about Walt Disney, and next week, tune back in for another podcast. If you'd like a shout-out on next week's podcast, please email Mr. Barnhart, and we will make sure to shout you out next week.