The only mouse welcomed into everyone's houses, Mickey continues to charm people throughout generations. The mouse's design has changed and evolved a lot throughout the years, but still, in all parts of the world children and adults alike instantly recognise the character's three iconic circles; such a simple logo has come to mean so much to so many people worldwide. He is the most well-known animation character of all time, and on 18th November 2018 Disney celebrated the 90th anniversary of their beloved mouse, after his debut on the silver screen in the short animation 'Steamboat Willie'.
As well as his iconic design, Mickey is known and loved for his fun, optimistic, resourceful, and generous character. He represents all the fundamental values upon which animation is based: a joy for life. In the past 90 years since Mickey, Disney has become a multibillion dollar company, producing hundreds of films, both animated and live action; however, in the words of Walt Disney himself, "it all started with a mouse". Within the world of Disney nowadays there are so many iconic and important characters, but none are as well known nor have survived so many years as the famous mouse. Although everyone knows his face, we celebrate his birthday with a few curiosities which perhaps you did not know about Mickey Mouse.
Did you know...
1. His first appearance was on the 18th November 1928 in 'Steamboat Willie'; however, before this point Walt Disney had already created two other animations, but was unable to find a distributor.
2. Disney first drew up an initial sketch of Mickey Mouse on a train from New York to Hollywood in 1928. His friend, Ub Iwerks, then designed the final version of the character and animated him for the first time and in his life made over 700 cartoons of the character.
3. At first the mouse was going to be named Mortimer, but at the suggestion of Disney's wife, the name was changed to Mickey. Mortimer ended up being the name of Mickey's enemy, who appeared in the cartoon 'Mickey's Rival'.
4. He is not always known as Mickey; in Italian Mickey is called Topolino, meaning "small mouse", and in Swedish he is named Musse pig.
5. Mickey has starred in 122 short animations, and 118 of them were made between 1928 and 1953.
6. It is also the anniversary of Minnie Mouse, as she appeared alongside Mickey for the first time in 'Steamboat Willie'.
7. Walt Disney at first voiced both Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
8. Mickey's first words were spoken in the 1929 animation, 'The Karnival Kid', in which he said "hotdogs".
9. As well as starring on the screen, Mickey also had his own comics; his first publication was in 1930 in the US and UK, and then in 1932 in Italy.
10. The first Mickey Mouse soft toys were sewn by Charlotte Clarke in 1930.
11. In 1932 Disney received his first Oscar for having created the character, Mickey.
12. Donald Duck is almost 85 years old, and appeared for the first time in an animation in 1934.
13. Mickey's first colour animation was in 1935, in the cartoon 'The Band Concert'.
14. Disneyland opened in July 1955, less than 30 years after Mickey's birth on the screen, in California.
15. He inspired (and continues to inspire) various artists: comedian and actor Dick Van Dyke credited Mickey Mouse for having been his "first contact with humour and comedy". Mickey also inspired the composer Cole Porter and the comedia Charlie Chaplain.
16. Famous artists worked within the studios and alongside Disney and the character of Mickey, including Salvador Dali and Diego Rivera. According to Rivera, "Mickey is one of the true geniuses of North American art in the first half of the Twentieth Century".
17. The character has inspired numerous fashion labels, from big designers such as Dolce & Gabbana, Tommy Hilfiger, Marc Jacobs, as well as highstreet brands like H&M, Primark, Zara, Berhska and GAP.
18. In 1978 he became the first animated character to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
19. Mickey is not actually the oldest surviving Disney character; the oldest is the villian, Pete (also known as Black Pete), who was created in 1924 and continues to be used today.
