Walter Elias Disney (/ˈdɪzni/;[1] December 5,
1901 – December 15, 1966) was an American entrepreneur,
animator, writer, voice actor and film producer. A pioneer of
the American animation industry, he introduced several
developments in the production of cartoons. As a film producer,
Disney holds the record for most Academy Awards earned by an
individual, having won 22 Oscars from 59 nominations. 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.
Born in Chicago in 1901, Disney developed an early interest in
drawing. He took art classes as a boy and got a job as a
commercial illustrator at the age of 18. He moved to California
in the early 1920s and set up the Disney Brothers Studio with
his brother Roy. With Ub Iwerks, Walt developed the
character Mickey Mouse in 1928, his first highly popular
success; he also provided the voice for his creation in the
early years. As the studio grew, Disney became more adventurous,
introducing synchronized sound, full–color three–
strip Technicolor, feature–length cartoons and technical
developments in cameras. The results, seen in features such
