TAMPA, Fla — Happy Birthday, Mickey and Minnie! The most famous mice in the world turn 93 today, but November 18 hasn't always been their big day.
WaltDisney.org says Mickey was created by Walt Disney on a train ride from Manhattan to Hollywood in 1928. The artist had just gotten some bad business news: his boss was taking credit for Walt's famous character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.
So Walt got right back to work. Just a few months after doodling the mouse, Walt worked with fellow animator Ub Iwerks to get Mickey in the spotlight. The mouse made his debut on May 15, 1928, in a cartoon called "Plane Crazy," inspired by Charles Lindbergh's solo flight across the Atlantic. Then Mickey starred in a cartoon called "The Gallopin' Gaucho."
Neither was picked up for distribution.
Mickey Mouse's big break finally came on November 18, 1928. But he wasn't named Mickey back then! At the time, the mouse starred as "Steamboat Willie." This was his wife, Minnie's, debut, too. She can be seen chasing the boat down the river.
The National Museum of American History considers the cartoon a turning point in the evolution of animation. It's credited as the first time the technique of "synchronized sound" was used, matching up movements on the screen with music and sound effects. There are also reports "Steamboat Willie" was talked about more than the feature film it preceded.
There are disputes about how Mickey got his name. One story says Walt and Ub wanted to name him Mortimer (who is now also a character in the Disney Universe), but Disney's wife preferred the name, Mickey. Another story says the mouse was based on a wooden toy from 1926 by the same name.
Mickey Mouse's "official" birthday is also up for debate. Walt Disney once said Mickey was born October 1, 1928, the date production started on "Steamboat Willie". WaltDisney.org says the date fluctuated for the next 50 years until 1978 when Disney Archives founder Dave Smith declared "Steamboat Willie's" premiere date as Mickey Mouse's birthday.
Britannica has some fun facts to share about Mickey Mouse. Even though "Steamboat Willie" was his debut, Mickey didn't actually speak until a year later in the 1929 cartoon "The Karnival Kid." Walt Disney was given a special award for creating Mickey Mouse by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 1932. The popular Mickey Mouse Club show in the 1950s also led to one of the most widely distributed items in merchandising history - the iconic mouse ears cap.
Being in Florida, a trip to celebrate Mickey and Minnie won't take you long. Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida features 4 magical parks with the mouse.