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MonNov 18

Mickey Mouse Day – November 18, 2024

Mickey Mouse first appeared publicly in the short film “Steamboat Willy” on November 18, 1928, the day fans officially recognize as Mickey Mouse’s Birthday. It must be fun to celebrate your birthday when you never age! Mickey reminds us of the magic of childhood — a time when dreams had wings, and our imagination made everything possible.

History of Mickey Mouse Day

Mickey Mouse is more than just a character, he’s an iconic figure for the Disney brand. But he almost didn’t exist. Mickey Mouse was only created as a replacement for Walt Disney’s original successful creation, Oswald the Rabbit. Oswald was made by the Disney studio for Charles Mintz, a film producer and distributer through Universal Studios. With so much success from Oswald, Disney asked Mintz to increase the studio’s budget, but instead Mintz demanded Walt take a 20 percent cut. He then reminded Disney that Oswald was owned by Universal and that he had already signed most of Disney’s current employees to his new contract. Disney refused to sign the new contract, finished the final Oswald comic of his contract, and ended his work with Universal.

With just himself and two loyal animators, Ub Iwerks and Les Clark, Disney had to start from scratch. From this experience, he learned to make sure he owned all the rights to characters produced by his company. His inspiration for Mickey came from a tamed mouse at his desk at Laugh-O-Gram Studio in Kansas City, Missouri. The original name for the character was Mortimer Mouse until his wife, Lillian, convinced him to change it, ultimately creating Mickey Mouse.

 On May 14, 1928, Mickey appeared in a test screening of the cartoon short “Plane Crazy”, but failed to impress audiences and attract distributors. Walt then produced a second Mickey short called “The Gallopin’ Gaucho”, which also suffered from a lack of distributor interest. “Steamboat Willy”, first released November 18, 1928 in New York, was co-directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. Intended as a parody of Buster Keaton’s “Steamboat Bill, Jr.”, it was the third Mickey film produced and the first to find a distributor, serving as Mickey’s debut.

Mickey Mouse Day timeline

1928
From rabbit to mouse

Artist Ub Iwerks modified Oswald Rabbit — turning him into Mickey Mouse.

1935
Mickey — in color

The first Mickey Mouse film in technicolor, "The Bad Concert," was released.

1987
Ear Force One

The first Mickey Mouse hot air balloon took flight.

1993
Toontown!

Mickey's Toontown opened at Disneyland, featuring the "Mickey's House and Meet Mickey" attraction.

2004
Mickey Goes CGI

"Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas" featured the character in CGI animation for the first time.

Mickey Mouse Day FAQs

What day is Mickey Mouse's 90th birthday?

Mickey Mouse celebrated his 9oth birthday back on November 18, 2018! 
 

What is Mickey Mouse's full name?

Did you know that Mickey is just a nickname? His full name is Michael Theodore Mouse.
 

Why does Mickey Mouse always say "hot dog"?

The famous Mickey Mouse catchphrase came to be as tribute to the first words he ever spoke, “hot dogs”!
 

Mickey Mouse Day Activities

  1. Put him on your wrist

    Mickey Mouse watches never seem to go out of style. There's even a 90th anniversary edition now available.

  2. Visit a Disney resort

    Enjoy music, fireworks, and special snacks as the parks stage a Mickey-themed party.

  3. Throw your own party

    How about a Mickey Mouse party for the kids where everyone gets to dress up like Mickey, Minnie, or another Disney character?

Why We Love Mickey Mouse Day

  1. He cheered up the world

    Mickey Mouse was born at time when the world most needed a mischievous mouse to lift their spirits—his film debut occurred just 20 days after the stock market crash in 1929, and his endless optimism and good cheer made him an instant favorite of both children and adults. It's only right that we celebrate his birthday!

  2. It’s a celebration of imagination

    Take a moment to consider the implausibility of a cartoon mouse achieving fame. He’s been a sailor, a musketeer and a mouseketeer, a prince and a pauper, a sorcerer and much more. And it's all due to the imagination of the humans that put him there. Thanks, Walt Disney, for your inspiring vision!

  3. The world’s most famous mouse deserves his own day

    Oddly enough, there have been a number of famous mice. There’s good old Jerry (from Tom and Jerry), Speedy Gonzales and Geronimo Stilton to name a few. But none can hold a candle to the original mouse with a mission. He's a bona-fide legend, and we have to celebrate that.

Mickey Mouse Day dates

YearDateDay
2024November 18Monday
2025November 18Tuesday
2026November 18Wednesday
2027November 18Thursday
2028November 18Saturday

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