Birth Place/Family:Walter Elias Disney was born on December 5, 1901 in small town Herosa, Illinois. Walt's last name Disney originated from his ancestors name "D'Isigny" pronounced Dez-nay. Walts father Elisa Disney was Irish Canadian and his mother, Call Disney was a German American. Walt had four siblings, three brothers Roy, Raymond and Herbert, then there's his sister Ruth Flora Disney.
Childhood:
After Walt was born his family moved to Marcelino, Missouri. Walt went to Benton Grammar for elementary school where he started to draw. When he began to get good with his art, he got the idea to sell his art, he made signs went to neighbors doors and sold them to family. At 10 his family moved again to Kansas City where Walt's uncle lived. Walt's uncle was a train engine and Walt wanted to be just like him. Walt began work at the train tracks with his uncle where he would be the "little helper". When walt got to high school he went to McKinley High and got back into art, took a photo class and got back to his drawing. When Walt turned 16 years old he dropped out of school to join the army but was rejected for being to young.
Hobbies, Interest & Activites:
From a young age art was a very big hobby of Walts. He first started drawing in elementary school at age 12. Walt would draw and paint pictures then sell them to his friends, family and neighbors. Everyone loved his art and was amazed because he was so young. When Walt got to high school he found a passion for another type of art, photography.
When Walt moved to Kansas City he built a closer
relationship with his uncle Mike Martin who was a train engineer. As
Walt and his uncle became closer Walt began to build a big interest in
trains like his uncle. During the summer Walt's uncle asked him if he'd
like to work for him, of course Walt said yes. Anecdotes:
With Walt's love for drawing and photography after he returned from France, his brother and him moved to California with plans to start their own business. Walt and Roy soon after moving opened up "Disney Brother Studios". The first thing the brothers began to work on was a cartoon octopus named Oswald. Unfortunately Margaret Winkler, the women they hired to be the distributer of there company stole the brothers characters and took them to start her own company.
Reason For Fame:
Walt Disney did so many things in his life time to bring him the fame he had. From his sketchs and creation of Mickey Mouse, to the opening of Disneyland Walt Disney did so many things to make him the famous man he was and still is. It took years of hard work and planning for Walt to get where he did. No one will ever be able to go to Disneyland or watch Disney channel with out thinking of the extraordinary man Walt Disney, who was behind all of these amazing things.
Mid Life:
In 1925 Walt and his brother hiered a women to work for them as their secrtary, and her name was Lillian Bounds. Within a year of her working for the Disney Brothers Studios, Walt had fallen in love with her and they got married.The first time the Walt and Lilian tried to get pregnant it ended in a misscarrige, but on December 18, 1933 Lilian gave birth to their first daughter Diane Marie Disney. Later on the copule decided with all the complications of their first pregancy they would just adot another child later. One Decemeber 31, 1936 Walt and Lilian adopted Sharon Mae Disney.
Death:
Early in life Walt had hurt his neck playing polo and in 1966 was finally going to have surgery to fix the damage. During a pre X-ray for the surgery the doctors discovered a tumor in his left lung caused by all the smoking he'd done throughout his life. Five days after the discovery the cancerous tumor had spread through his whole lung. Immediately the doctors removed the lung and gave Walt the bad news he'd only have 6 months to 2 years to live. Shortly following the surgery Walt collapsed in his home but was revived by the paramedics. Unfortunately two weeks later, right after his 65 birthday, Walt passed away on December 15, 1966 due to acute circulatory collapse, caused by lung cancer.
