October 1, 1955 – Mickey Mouse Appears on the Cover of TV Guide
“Mickey And His Club”
On October 1, 1955, to promote the new show Mickey Mouse Club, a picture of Mickey in his bandleader outfit, along with some snapshots from the show, graced the cover of TV Guide. The guide covered the week of October 1 – October 7. The show was scheduled to premiere that week on October 3rd on ABC.
August 3, 1933 – The First Mickey Mouse Watch is Introduced
On August 3, 1933, the first Mickey Mouse watches were introduced for sale by the Ingersoll-Waterbury Clock Company at the low cost of $3.25 (about $64 today, adjusted for 2019 inflation). This price would eventually be lowered to about $2.95. The watch was a stroke of genius for both Ingersoll-Waterbury and Disney, with merchandising genius Kay Kamen inking a deal between the two and starting a lucrative partnership for both (and kick off the beginning of Disney’s merchandise empire). This watch also saved both companies from bankruptcy.
May 30, 2011 – American Idol Winner Scotty McCreery Rides in Hollywood Studios Gala Parade
On May 30, 2011, to celebrate his win as the newest American Idol, Scotty McCreery rode down the streets of Hollywood Studios in a special gala parade, accompanied by Mickey Mouse. The parade ended in front of The American Idol Experience attraction, where McCreery treated guests to a rendition of his hit song “I Love You This Big.” He later surprised fans by making a surprise appearance in front of the attraction’s audience.
April 21, 2006 – The Live Show Disney Live! Mickey’s Magic Show Premieres
“Abracadabra! It’s Disney Live! presents Mickey’s Magic Show!”
On April 21, 2006, the touring stage production Disney Live! Mickey’s Magic Show premiered in Columbia, South Carolina. This was the second production by Feld Entertainment in conjunction with Disney. The show featured Mickey and Minnie putting on a magic show, which brought forth magic from the most beloved Disney films, such as Aladdin and Fantasia; the underlying theme was finding the magic deep within us.
April 18, 1983 – The Disney Channel Show Mousercise Premieres
“Come on everybody and Mousercize, Mickey’s Mousercize!”
On April 18, 1983, the aerobics show Mousercise premiered on Disney Channel. The show was modeled after the popular exercise programs of the time and was based on an exercise album released by Disneyland Records in 1982. It featured Kellyn Plasschaert as the main instructor, and Steve Stark as a facilitator on a discussion on health and safety. The show ran for 60 episodes.
March 10, 1935 – The New York Times Publishes Article: “Mickey Mouse Emerges as Economist”
“One touch of Mickey makes the whole world grin in a very dark hour.”
On March 10, 1935, the New York Times ran an article entitled “Mickey Mouse Emerges as Economist,” with the tagline about how the phenomenal popularity of the character led to “victories in the field of business man and banker.” The article not only spoke to his appeal in the entertainment field across the world, but to the business side as well, especially calling out marketing genius Kay Kamen. The article also featured a picture of Walt Disney, a plush Mickey Mouse, and a mountain of fanmail.
February 11, 2011 – Mickey’s Toontown Fair Closes in Walt Disney World
On February 11, 2011, the Mickey’s Toontown Fair area closed in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Park. The area originally opened on June 18, 1988 as Mickey’s Birthdayland, which was created to celebrate Mickey’s 60th birthday; after the birthday celebrations were over, it became Mickey’s Starland on May 26, 1990, and then became Mickey’s Toontown Fair on June 29, 1996. The area featured Disney character-related attractions, such as Mickey’s Country House; Minnie’s Country House; Donald’s Boat; and The Barnstomer, a Goofy-themed rollercoaster. The area was closed due to the expansion of Fantasyland, and was eventually replaced by the Storybook Circus area; however, the area reused The Barnstormer attraction, which was retooled to fit the circus theme of the area.
January 10, 1932 – The First Mickey Mouse Sunday Comic is Printed
“Here’s something you’ve never seen before – something new under the old overworked sun – MICKEY MOUSE in a full page color comic!”
On January 10, 1932, the first color Sunday comic of the Miceky Mouse series premiered in newspapers across the United States. The Mickey Mouse comics burst on the scene on January 13, 1930, and became a smash hit almost overnight. The comic syndicate King Features had been eager to feature a full-page color comic, but artist Floyd Gottfredson and inker Earl Duvall hadn’t had the time to devote to such an ambitious undertaking. Once Gottfredson and Duvall had Al Taliaferro and Ted Osborne on their team, the team then had time to bring the color comic to fruition. The appeal of the color comics is interesting to note, as at that time, Mickey’s appearance on the silver screen was still black and white (Mickey’s first color cartoon wouldn’t be until 1935’s The Band Concert). The first color comic was done by completely by Duvall, trying to mimic the slapstick that had worked so well in the short films; Gottfredson would take over soon after. The pair were able to create a new kind of gag strip storytelling through their adaptation of Mickey Mouse short films and the creation of new stories.
January 2, 1938 – The First Episode of the Mickey Mouse Theater of the Air Airs
“Who’s afraid of ra-di-o, ra-di-o, ra-di-o?”
On January 2, 1938, the first episode of the radio program Mickey Mouse Theater of the Air aired on NBC. It was a musical-variety series aimed at children, and was sponsored by Pepsodent. The program was created to promote the upcoming full-length feature animation film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and featured Walt Disney as the voice of Mickey Mouse, Clarence Nash as Donald Duck, Thelma Boardman as Minnie Mouse, Stuart Buchanan as Goofy, and Florence Gill as Clarabelle Cow. Each episode featured the characters in a different story, with the first story featuring the tale of Robin Hood. The twentieth, and final, episode aired on May 15th.
December 4, 1998 – A Steiff Mickey Mouse Doll Sells for $7,261 at Christie’s Auction
On December 4, 1998, Christie’s Auction House held a teddy bear themed auction at their auction house in London, South Kensington. At this auction, a rare 1930s Steiff Mickey Mouse doll was listed on the block, estimated to sell between £2,000 and £3,000 (around $3,323 to $4,985 at the time; around $5,127 to $7,691, adjusted for 2018 inflation). The doll would end up selling for £4,370 ($7,261; around $11,203 adjusted for 2018 inflation). Steiff had been creating teddy bears and specialty dolls since 1880, and was asked by Walt Disney to help create what would become an iconic Mickey Mouse doll.
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