Animator Walt Disney was born on December 5, 1901, in Chicago, Illinois. He loved drawing from a young age and, after graduating from high school, aspired to become a cartoonist. At the age of 18, he met Ub Iwerks, known as the creator of Mickey Mouse, and the two founded a design company. The company soon went bankrupt, but Walt and Iwerks continued to work together. He decided to become an animator, and in 1920 he produced his first original animated feature film. He perfected a new technique for combining live-action and animation, and in 1923 founded the Disney Company in Hollywood. In 1927, he released the fully animated film "Oswald the Lucky Rabbit," which became a huge hit. After overcoming problems with the distributor, he released the world's first animated film, "Steamboat Willie," on November 18, 1928, marking Mickey Mouse's screen debut. He won his first Academy Award in 1932 for the full-color animated film "Flowers and Trees," and with the release of "Snow White" in 1937, his popularity became unshakable.

He produced over 80 films that continue to be loved around the world, including "Pinocchio" in 1940, "Dumbo" in 1941, "Alice in Wonderland" in 1951, and "Peter Pan" in 1953. He built Disneyland in 1955, and in his later years he worked hard to found an arts college. He died in December 1966 at the age of 65.