Walt Disney

Walter Elias Disney was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur, and a pioneer of the American animation industry. He introduced several developments in the production of cartoons and holds the record for most Academy Awards won (22) and nominations (59) by an individual. He was presented with two Golden Globe Special Achievement Awards and an Emmy Award, among other honors. Several of his films are included in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress and have also been named as some of the best by the American Film Institute. Born in Chicago in 1901, Disney developed an early interest in drawing and took art classes as a boy. He took a job as a commercial illustrator at the age of 18 and moved to California in the early 1920s, where he set up the Disney Brothers Studio (now the Walt Disney Company) with his brother Roy. With Ub Iwerks, he developed the character Mickey Mouse in 1928, his first highly popular success, and also provided the voice for his creation in the early years. Disney described his childhood in Marceline, Missouri, as one of the happiest and most formative periods of his life, drawing inspiration from the town for several of his future projects. He died of lung cancer in 1966.