Walt Disney

Walt DisneyBy Ben GarboBackground He was born in Chicago, Illinois onDecember 5, 1901 He was a cartoonist and a filminnovator He won 26 Academy Awards He was among the most successfulAmerican entrepreneursChildhood Although he was born into poverty,he was able to contribute greatlyto the American economy He loved to draw so much that hedecided to make a career out of it Instead of doing schoolwork, hewould doodle pictures of animalsand natureCharacters His first cartoon character, Oswaldthe Rabbit, was stolen from him He created many famous cartooncharacters including Mickey Mouse,Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Pluto, andthe Disney princessesFilms His first full-length animated filmwas Snow White and the SevenDwarfs, which was released in1938 Since then, the Disney name hasmade many movies such asBeauty and the Beast, Hercules,Fantasia, Alice in Wonderland,Tarzan, Pirates of the Caribbean,Peter Pan, and so much moreMerchandise The Disney Company produces avery large variety of trinkets eachyear These trinkets include toys, homedécor, games, foods andbeverages, stationary, electronics,art, and clothesDisneyland Disneyland was the first themepark built by Disney It is located in Central California It supports more than 23,800 jobsin the US Disneyland generates $3.6 billion ayear In order to build Disneyland, WaltDisney had to mortgageeverything he owned including hispersonal insurance