Timeline of The Walt Disney Company

This is a timeline of The Walt Disney Company, listing notable business events for the organization.

1923–1950
year Events
1923
  • Walt Disney signs a contract with M.J. Winkler' to produce a series of Alice Comedies and establishes "Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio", with brothers Walt and Roy Disney as equal partners.[1]
1926
  • "Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio" changes name to "The Walt Disney Studio" shortly after moving into the new studio on Hyperion Avenue in the Silver Lake district.
1927
  • Charles Mintz, who had taken over M. J. Winkler’s film company (Winkler Pictures), signs a contract with Universal Pictures. Winkler Pictures was to produce 26 Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoons for Universal per the contract; Universal would retain the copyrights to all of them. The Walt Disney Studio is brought on to do Oswald’s design and animation for the cartoons.
1928
  • The studio loses the Oswald series contract; several animators leave for Winkler Pictures where the Oswald series continue production.
  • Steamboat Willie is released; it marks the first public appearance of Mickey Mouse, and is the first cartoon released with synchronized sound
1929
  • On December 16, "The Walt Disney Studio" is replaced by "Walt Disney Productions, Ltd". Three other companies, "Walt Disney Enterprises", "Disney Film Recording Company", and "Liled Realty and Investment Company", are also formed.
1930
1932
1936
  • Distribution moved from United Artists to RKO Radio Pictures.
1937
1938
  • On September 29, "Walt Disney Enterprises", "Disney Film Recording Company", and "Liled Realty and Investment Company" and "Walt Disney Productions, Ltd." are merged to form "Walt Disney Productions".
1940
  • Studio moves to Burbank, California
  • Company goes public
  • Pinocchio and Fantasia are released
1941
  • A bitter animators' strike occurs
  • The studio begins producing propaganda films for the United States during World War II
  • Dumbo is released
1942
1943
1944
  • Short on money, the company re-releases Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, generating much-needed revenue and beginning a reissue pattern for their animated films
1945
1946
1947
1948
1949
1950

1951–1975
Year Events
1951
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
  • Old Yeller is released
  • Zorro TV series debuts
1959
1960
1961
1963
1964
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1973
1974
1975

1976–2000
Year Business events
1976
1977
1978
1979
  • The Black Hole is released; it is the first Disney film to be rated PG
  • Don Bluth and 12 fellow animators leave Disney to found their own studio
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
  • In January, Michael Ovitz, president of The Walt Disney Company leaves the company.
  • The home video division releases its first DVDs.
  • Disney takes control of the Major League Baseball franchise the California Angels of the American League, renaming the team the Anaheim Angels in order to match the Mighty Ducks and to draw more tourism to Anaheim and nearby Disneyland.
  • The Lion King (musical) opens on Broadway.
  • Disney enters a 10-year distribution partnership with Pixar Animation Studios.
  • Playhouse Disney launches.
  • Films released include Hercules, Con Air, and Flubber
1998
1999
2000

2001–present
Year Events
2001
  • Disney purchases Fox Family Worldwide for $3 billion in October. The purchase of the franchise included the Fox Family Channel, the library assets of Saban Entertainment and Fox Kids' brand name, the Fox Children’s Productions library of shows, and its European and Latin American channels. Fox Family is renamed ABC Family shortly after the purchase.
  • Fort Worth billionaire Sid Bass is forced to sell his Disney holdings due to a margin call caused partially by the stock market fall that followed the 9/11 attacks
  • Films released include Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Monsters, Inc., Pearl Harbor, and The Princess Diaries
  • Disney California Adventure Park and Tokyo DisneySea open
2002
2003
  • Roy E. Disney resigns as the chairman of Feature Animation and from the board of directors, citing similar reasons to those that drove him off 26 years earlier. Fellow director Stanley Gold resigns with him. They establish a group called "Save Disney" to apply public pressure to oust Michael Eisner.
  • Talks to extend distribution agreement with Pixar break down, and Pixar announces plans to seek a new distribution partner.[12]
  • Disney sells the Angels to billboard magnate Arturo Moreno.
  • Walt Disney Animation France is closed.
  • Films released include Finding Nemo, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, and Brother Bear
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020

References
  1. "Company History". Corporate Information. The Walt Disney Company. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
  2. Korkis, Jim (September 13, 2005). "Wednesdays with Wade: 25 years of "Disney on Ice"". JimHillMedia. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
  3. Aberdeen, J. A. (2000). "Disneyland". Hollywood Renegades. Cobblestone Entertainment. ISBN 1-890110-24-8. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  4. "Disneyland opens". This Day in History. History. July 17, 1955. Archived from the original on April 25, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  5. Leonard, Devin; Burke, Doris (January 20, 2003). "The Curse of Pooh". Fortune. Time, Inc. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
  6. Glover, Erin (March 13, 2017). "Celebrate 50 Years of Pirates of the Caribbean This Weekend at Disneyland Park". Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Archived from the original on September 27, 2018. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  7. Smith, Thomas (October 1, 2010). "This Day in History: Walt Disney World Resort Officially Opens – 1971". Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Archived from the original on April 5, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  8. Lucas (2019), p. 153.
  9. "Opening of Tokyo Disneyland". The Oriental Land Company. Archived from the original on December 31, 2017. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  10. Stevenson, Richard W. (August 29, 1989). "Muppets Join Disney Menagerie". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 19, 2017. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  11. Fickley-Baker, Jennifer (April 22, 2011). "This Day In Disney History: Disney's Animal Kingdom Opened in 1998". Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Archived from the original on March 23, 2019. Retrieved May 31, 2019.
  12. "Pixar dumps Disney". CNN. January 30, 2004. Archived from the original on December 20, 2018. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  13. Fickley-Baker, Jennifer (September 12, 2011). "Today in Disney History: Hong Kong Disneyland Opens". Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Archived from the original on September 11, 2015. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  14. Barnes, Brooks (September 18, 2008). "Fuzzy Renaissance". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 21, 2018. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  15. Marvel Shareholders OK Disney Acquisition, Marketwatch, December 31, 2009.
  16. "Disney Completes Marvel Acquisition". Marvel. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  17. Stelter, Brian; Barnes, Brooks (May 12, 2010). "Disney Sells a Franchise That Mothers Didn't Like". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 23, 2017. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
  18. "Movie Reviews, Trailers, Interviews, Wikis & Posters for Movies - IGN" – via www.ign.com.
  19. The Deadline Team (December 21, 2012). "Disney Completes Acquisition Of Lucasfilm". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 14, 2013. Retrieved September 14, 2013.
  20. Evangelista, Chris (November 21, 2017). "John Lasseter Taking Leave of Absence From Disney/Pixar After Sexual Harassment Allegations". /Film. Archived from the original on December 4, 2018. Retrieved May 31, 2019.

Bibliography
  • Lucas, Christopher (2019). Top Disney: 100 Top Ten Lists of the Best of Disney, from the Man to the Mouse and Beyond (1st ed.). Lyons Press. ISBN 978-1493037711.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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