Disney character Mickey Mouse was born on November 18, 1928.
In February 1928, Walt Disney was at the bottom of despair. Universal Pictures declared that it owned the character he created, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. The animators employed at Disney Brothers, the company he founded with his brother, were being poached and leaving the company one after another. To revive the company, Disney needed a hit character to replace Oswald.
So, Disney came up with a mouse with large ears, a mouth, and feet. Initially called "Mortimer," the character was later renamed Mickey Mouse, with the advice of his wife, Lillian Disney. When he made his debut in Steamboat Willie in November 1928, he became an instant hit, and a succession of animated cartoons featuring Mickey Mouse followed. In 1932, "Mickey's Many Babies" was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, and in 1940, Disney's third feature film, "Fantasia," was released. Mickey starred in this film as the Sorcerer's Apprentice. While initially met with lukewarm reviews, a re-release after Walt Disney's death quickly became a hit, solidifying Mickey's presence at Disney. Meanwhile, Walt Disney opened Disneyland in Los Angeles in 1955. It was a huge hit, attracting over 4 million visitors in one year, and Mickey gained popularity as an iconic Disney character. The Mickey Mouse animated series largely disappeared after "Mickey's Fishing" in 1953. However, in 2013, the 125th film, "Mickey's Rescue Mission," was released alongside "Frozen." It became a hot topic as Mickey's first 3D animated film. Oswald, whose rights were transferred from Universal Pictures, appears in this film for the first time in a Disney production since the rights were returned.