<P> This is a timeline of The Walt Disney Company, listing notable business events for the organization . </P> <P> The Walt Disney Company was founded in 1923, and found much success under Walt Disney's leadership through his death in 1966 . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Year </Th> <Th> Notable Business Events </Th> <Th> Notable Theatrical Releases </Th> <Th> Notable Theme Park / destination Openings </Th> <Th> Other Premieres </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1923 </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Walt Disney signed a contract with M.J. Winkler to produce a series of Alice Comedies, beginning the Disney company under its original name "Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio", with brothers Walt and Roy Disney, as equal partners . </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> First Alice's comedy, Alice's Wonderland, was released </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1926 </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> "Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio" changes name to "The Walt Disney Studio" shortly after moving into the new studio on Hyperion Avenue in the Silver Lake district . </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1927 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Oswald the Lucky Rabbit debuts . </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1928 </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Walt loses the Oswald's series contract . </Li> <Li> Walt and Roy come up with Mickey and Minnie Mouse . </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Mickey Mouse debuts in Plane Crazy </Li> <Li> Steamboat Willie (the first synchronized sound cartoon) </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1929 </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> On December 16, "The Walt Disney Studio" is replaced by "Walt Disney Productions, Ltd". Three other companies, "Walt Disney Enterprises", "Disney Film Recording Company", and "Liled Realty and Investment Company", are also formed . </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> The Skeleton Dance (the first Silly Symphonies cartoon) </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1930 </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Distribution moved to Columbia Pictures </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> The Mickey Mouse comic strips by Floyd Gottfredson </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1931 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1932 </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Distribution moved from Columbia Pictures to United Artists </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Flowers and Trees (the first Technicolor cartoon and first animated short to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film of 1932) </Li> <Li> Mickey's Revue (which features the premiere of Goofy, originally called "Dippy Dawg") </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1933 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Three Little Pigs (winner of Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film of 1933) </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1934 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> The Wise Little Hen (which features the premiere of Donald Duck) </Li> <Li> The Tortoise and the Hare (Winner of Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film of 1934) </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1936 </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Distribution moved from United Artists to RKO Radio Pictures . </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1937 </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Walt Disney's first feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1938 </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> On September 29, "Walt Disney Enterprises", "Disney Film Recording Company", and "Liled Realty and Investment Company" and "Walt Disney Productions, Ltd ." are merged to form "Walt Disney Productions". </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1940 </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Studio moves to Burbank, California </Li> <Li> Company goes public </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Pinocchio </Li> <Li> Fantasia </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1941 </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> A bitter animators' strike occurs </Li> <Li> The studio begins making morale - boosting propaganda films for the United States during World War II </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Dumbo </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1942 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Bambi </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Donald Duck comics by Carl Barks </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1943 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Saludos Amigos </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1944 </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> The company is short on money; a theatrical re-release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs generates much - needed revenue and begins a reissue pattern for the animated feature films . </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1945 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> The Three Caballeros (The first live action / cartoons Disney film) </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1946 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Make Mine Music </Li> <Li> Song of the South </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1947 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Fun and Fancy Free </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1948 </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> The True - Life Adventures nature film series begins; it lasts until 1960 . </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Melody Time </Li> <Li> Seal Island </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1949 </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> The studio begins production on its first all - live action feature, Treasure Island </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td_colspan="2"> <Ul> <Li> licensed Ice Capades Disney segment </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1950 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Cinderella </Li> <Li> Treasure Island (Disney's first live - action film) </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1951 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Alice in Wonderland </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1952 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Uncle Scrooge comics by Carl Barks </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1953 </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> "WED Enterprises" is formed to control the rights to "Disney" and hold the Disneyland design team . It will later own and operate several attractions inside Disneyland, including the Disneyland Monorail System and the Disneyland Railroad . </Li> <Li> Disney makes the Disneyland programming deal with American Broadcasting - Paramount Theatres to fund Disneyland . </Li> <Li> Other Disneyland investors were Walt Disney / WED and Western Publishing </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Peter Pan </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1954 </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> The studio ends its distribution deal with RKO Radio Pictures and founds Buena Vista Film Distribution Company, Inc. to distribute its feature films . </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Disneyland anthology TV series on ABC (First Disney TV program & Disneyland funding program) </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1955 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Lady and the Tramp </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Disneyland opens in Anaheim, California . </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> The Mickey Mouse Club (ABC - TV) </Li> <Li> Magic Kingdom (ABC Radio) </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1957 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Old Yeller </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Zorro (ABC) </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1959 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Sleeping Beauty </Li> <Li> The Shaggy Dog </Li> <Li> Darby O'Gill and the Little People </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1960 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Pollyanna </Li> <Li> Swiss Family Robinson </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1961 </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> The studio purchases the film and merchandise rights to A.A. Milne's Winnie - the - Pooh books, which are a huge source of revenue (as well as litigation issues) to this day . </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> One Hundred and One Dalmatians </Li> <Li> The Absent - Minded Professor </Li> <Li> The Parent Trap </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1963 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> The Sword in the Stone </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room opens at Disneyland . This is the first attraction to feature audio - animatronics . </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1964 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Mary Poppins (the first Disney film to receive a Best Picture Academy Award nomination) </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1965 </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Disney News begins publication </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 1966 </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> September: Walt Disney is diagnosed with lung cancer; died on December 15 . </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree </Li> </Ul> </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> Year </Th> <Th> Notable Business Events </Th> <Th> Notable Theatrical Releases </Th> <Th> Notable Theme Park / destination Openings </Th> <Th> Other Premieres </Th> </Tr>

When did the first disney movie come out