Walter Elias "
Walt"
Disney (December 5, 1901 – December 15, 1966) was an American
film producer,
director,
screenwriter,
voice actor,
animator,
entrepreneur,
entertainer,
international icon,
and
philanthropist, well known for his influence in the field of entertainment during the 20th century. Along with his brother
Roy O. Disney,
he was co-founder of Walt Disney Productions, which later became one of
the best-known motion picture producers in the world. The corporation
is now known as
The Walt Disney Company and had an annual revenue of approximately
US$36 billion in the 2010 financial year.
Disney is particularly noted as a film producer and a popular showman, as well as an innovator in
animation and
theme park design. He and his staff created some of the world's most well-known fictional characters including
Mickey Mouse, for whom Disney himself provided the original voice. During his lifetime he received four honorary
Academy Awards and won 22 Academy Awards from a total of 59 nominations, including a record four in one year,
giving him more awards and nominations than any other individual in history.
Disney also won seven
Emmy Awards and gave his name to the
Disneyland and
Walt Disney World Resort theme parks in the U.S., as well as the international resorts
Tokyo Disney Resort,
Disneyland Paris, and
Hong Kong Disneyland.
The year after his December 15, 1966 death from lung cancer in
Burbank, California, construction began on Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. His brother Roy Disney inaugurated the
Magic Kingdom on October 1, 1971.
Source:
Pleated-Jeans
