The Disney Look... to the Past! (December 2-8)

As every week, here you are the latest edition of the great feature called "The Disney Look... to the Past!":

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This Week in Disney History: December 2-8

Dec. 5, 2001 – Walt Disney’s hometown of Marceline, Mo., 100 years later

The fourth son of Flora and Elias Disney, Walt Disney was born in the family’s two-story home on Tripp Avenue in Chicago. At age 5, Walt and his family moved to a small farm near Marceline, Mo., beginning a brief but impactful period in his formative years that he later cited as the inspiration for Main Street, U.S.A. Always the artist, Walt sold his first sketches to neighbors at age 7. After spending time in Europe as a Red Cross ambulance driver after World War I and following his first stint in commercial animation in Kansas City, he rode his dreams to California in 1923, where he and older brother Roy O. Disney pooled their money, hopes and aspirations to form what has become The Walt Disney Company.

The small town of Marceline still embraces Walt as its hometown hero. In 2001, the community held a slew of celebratory events, including the then-largest gathering of Disney historians and artists in roundtable discussions and showcased their expertise, plus barn raisings, music, food, children’s athletic competitions and more. Disney fans from around the world, as well as Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, traveled to the town of approximately 2,500 enthusiastic residents.

Dec. 7, 1986 – The Disney Channel begins 24-hour programming

When The Disney Channel launched in April 1983, programs broadcast for children and families from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. A few years later, it became an around-the-clock operation, expanding its programming to youth-focused shows during the day, pre-teen audiences in the afternoon and family movies and specials in the evenings. What millennial kid doesn’t remember rocking out to “Kids Incorporated,” the professional start of pop music superstar Fergie? With each passing year, The Disney Channel continues to grow, boasting pop culture-changing hits and launching international superstars like former Mouseketeers Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera and Ryan Gosling, and a new generation of Disney stars including Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus and Zac Efron.

Also this week in Disney history:

Dec. 2
1935 — Marc Davis (animator and one of Walt’s “Nine Old Men”) joins The Walt Disney Studios
1965 — Walt Disney Pictures releases “That Darn Cat”

Dec. 3
1948 — “Mickey and the Seal” (Mickey Mouse cartoon short) debuts
1980 — Leaders hold a groundbreaking ceremony for Tokyo Disneyland Park

Dec. 4
1942 — “How to Fish” (Goofy cartoon short) debuts
2001 — Disneyland Resort Paris becomes the new name of the Euro Disney property
2001 — Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream is dedicated at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Dec. 5
1901 — Walter Elias Disney is born in Chicago
1930 — “Pioneer Days” (Mickey Mouse cartoon short) debuts
2001 — Chester & Hester’s Dino-Rama! is dedicated at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
2001 — The Sorcerer’s Hat icon is dedicated at Disney’s Hollywood Studios during the 100 Years of Magic celebration, commemorating the centennial of Walt’s birth

Dec. 6
1903 — Walt’s sister Ruth Flora Disney is born;

Dec. 7
1941 — Japanese planes attack U.S. ships in Pearl Harbor, Hawai`i; the U.S. Army later moves onto the Disney lot in Burbank, Calif., in an effort to protect nearby military facilities
1945 — “Canine Patrol” (Pluto cartoon short) debuts

Dec. 8
1944 — “Donald’s Off Day” (Donald Duck cartoon short) debuts
1989 — Monorail Blue becomes the first operational Mark VI monorail train at the Walt Disney World Resort
2006 — Touchstone Pictures releases “Apocalypto”

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See you next week, with another edition of this interesting weekly feature!