Chronology of Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse

Copyright © 2006-2010 Ken Polsson
internet e-mail: ken@kpolsson.com
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URL: http://kpolsson.com/mmouse/

References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2010 December 1.


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1928-1929 1930-1931 1932-1934 1935-1939 1940-1959 1960-1984 1985-1994 1995-end

1930

January 11
  • At 12:00 PM, the first official theater-based Mickey Mouse Club begins, at the Fox Dome Theater in Ocean Park, California. [911.22]
January 13
  • The first Mickey Mouse comic strip is published, in the New York Mirror. The strip is initially written by Walt Disney, and drawn by Ub Iwerks. [22] [23] [24] [229.19] [48.107] [75] [82.98] [96.10,52,77] [113.17,18,325] [190.26] [230.30] [244.20] [250.98] [267.69] [228.99] [651.27] [1102.140] [1242.62]
January
  • Charlotte Clark begins production of Mickey Mouse dolls. [23] [56.205] [247.31]
January 24
  • Disney signs a contract with King Features for the Mickey Mouse comic strip. [96.77] [113.17] [244.20]
February 3
  • Roy Disney signs a contract for Disney merchandising, with George Borgfeldt & Company of New York, to produce toys with Mickey and Minnie Mouse characters. [48.106] [56.73] [113.39] [96.73] [228.64] [267.68] (January 29 [1102.141])
March 6
  • Disney completes the Mickey Mouse film Just Mickey. It is also called Fiddlin' Around. [16] [23]
March
  • King Features asks Disney to turn the Mickey Mouse comic strip into a continuous serial. [82.13]
March 20
  • Roy Disney sends a letter to the Buzza Company, proposing a series of books featuring Mickey Mouse. [267.68]
March 27
  • George Borgfeldt & Company of New York issues its first Disney merchandising license to Walkburger, Tanner and Company of St. Gall, Switzerland, for manufacturing handkerchiefs featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse. [96.73] (Waldburger, Tanner & Company [113.39])
March 31
  • The first episode of the first Mickey Mouse adventure story comic strip, "Mickey Mouse in Death Valley" is published in newspapers. [82.13] [96.77]
  • At this date, about 60 theaters are operating Mickey Mouse Clubs. [267.69]
April 5
  • The Mickey Mouse film The Barnyard Concert is completed. [16] [23]
April 10
  • The Mickey Mouse film The Barnyard Concert is released. [228.42]
April
  • Floyd Gottfredson takes over drawing the Mickey Mouse comic strip. (He will continue until retiring on 1975.) [82.13] [228.214]
April 15
  • The first issue of the Official Bulletin of the Mickey Mouse Club is published. [113.100,328]
April 21
  • The Mickey Mouse film Just Mickey is released to theaters. [228.270]
April 25
  • The Mickey Mouse film Wild Waves is released to theaters. [501.612]
May 5
  • The first Mickey Mouse comic strip drawn and inked by Floyd Gottfredson is published. [96.77] [113.17,325]
May 10
  • Disney completes the Mickey Mouse film The Cactus Kid. Minnie Mouse also appears. [16] [23]
May 15
  • The Mickey Mouse film The Cactus Kid is released. It stars Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and Peg Leg Pete. [228.74]
May 19
  • Floyd Gottfredson takes over writing the Mickey Mouse comic strip. [113.325]
June 17
  • William Banks Levy becomes Disney's representative in England, receiving authority to license Mickey and Minnie Mouse character merchandise. [113.81]
June 20
  • Disney completes the Mickey Mouse film The Fire Fighters. Minnie Mouse also appears. [16] [23] [15]
June 25
  • The Mickey Mouse film The Fire Fighters is released to theaters. [228.185]
(month unknown)
  • Roy Disney grants permission to French journalist Paul Winkler to publish Mickey Mouse comics in European newspapers. [267.209]
  • The Mickey Mouse Club concept is expanded to hundreds of theaters. [23]
  • Madame Tussauds wax museum in London, England, adds a waxwork figure of Mickey Mouse playing the piano. [96.23]
  • A song by Harry Carlton includes the lines "There's a certain animile, making everybody smile. What's this fellow's name? Mickey! Mickey! Tricky Mickey Mouse!". [96.23]
July 11
  • Disney completes the Mickey Mouse film The Shindig. [16] [23]

July
  • Germany's film censors ban the Mickey Mouse film The Barnyard Battle because "the wearing of German military helmets by an army of cats which opposes a militia of mice is offensive to the national dignity". [96.24] [97.30]
July 29
  • The Mickey Mouse film The Shindig is released to theaters. [501.496]
August 18
  • Disney completes the Mickey Mouse film The Chain Gang. This film debuts Pluto the dog, though he is not named. [16] [1] [7] [23] [15] [40.146] [48.129] [97.42] [185.34]
September 5
  • The Mickey Mouse film The Chain Gang is released to theaters. This film debuts Pluto the dog, though he is not named. [228.85] (October [22])
September 22
  • Disney completes the Mickey Mouse film The Gorilla Mystery. Minnie Mouse also appears. [16] [23] [15]
October 9
  • Disney completes the Mickey Mouse film The Picnic. Minnie Mouse also appears. Pluto also appears as "Rover", Minnie's dog. [16] [23] [97.42]
October 10
  • Disney releases the Mickey Mouse film The Gorilla Mystery. [228.214]
October
  • Bibo-Lang publishes the first Disney book, The Mickey Mouse Book. It is a thin, green-colored pamphlet. [22] [228.9] [96.79] [228.53,64,321]
October 23
  • The Mickey Mouse film The Picnic is released to theaters. [228.387]
November 20
  • Disney completes the Mickey Mouse film Pioneer Days. Minnie Mouse also appears. [16] [23] [15]
December 5
  • The Mickey Mouse film Pioneer Days is released to theaters. [228.389]

1931

January 2
  • Disney completes the Mickey Mouse film The Birthday Party. Minnie Mouse, Horace Horsecollar, and Clarabelle Cow also appear. [16] [23] [15]
January 7
  • The Mickey Mouse film The Birthday Party is released to theaters. [228.56]
March 7
  • Disney completes the Mickey Mouse film Traffic Troubles. Minnie Mouse also appears. [16] [23]
March 17
  • Columbia Pictures releases the Mickey Mouse film Traffic Troubles to theaters. [395.61] [501.568]
March 27
  • Disney completes the Mickey Mouse film The Castaway. [16] [23]
April 6
  • The Mickey Mouse film The Castaway is released to theaters. [228.83]
April 30
  • Disney completes the Mickey Mouse film The Moose Hunt. Pluto also appears, and is first called by name. Pluto speaks for the first and only time in his career. [16] [7] [23] [49.254] [97.42] [1073.29]
May 3
  • The Mickey Mouse film The Moose Hunt is released to theaters. [228.341]
June 6
  • Disney completes the Mickey Mouse film The Delivery Boy. Minnie Mouse also appears. [16] [23]
June 13
  • The Mickey Mouse film The Delivery Boy is released. [228.122]
(month unknown)
  • The David McKay Company of Philadelphia publishes the book, The Adventures of Mickey Mouse. This is the first hardback Disney book. The book gives the first published reference to Donald Duck. [96.28,79] [113.164] [228.9] [228.53,64]
  • The book, Mickey Mouse Movie Stories Volume One is published. [96.59,79]
  • The Saalfield Publishing Company of Akron, Ohio, publishes the Mickey Mouse Coloring Book. [113.164]
July 10
  • Disney completes the Mickey Mouse film Mickey Steps Out. Pluto and Minnie Mouse also appear. [16] [23] [15] (July 7 [228.324])
August 7
  • Disney completes the Mickey Mouse film Blue Rhythm. Minnie Mouse also appears. [16] [23] [15]
August 18
  • The Mickey Mouse film Blue Rhythm is released to theaters. [228.61]
September 1
  • Disney completes the Mickey Mouse film Fishin' Around. Pluto also appears. [16] [23]
September 25
  • The Mickey Mouse film Fishin' Around is released to theaters. [228.186]
September 30
  • The Mickey Mouse film The Barnyard Broadcast is completed. [16] [23]
October 10
  • The Mickey Mouse film The Barnyard Broadcast is released to theaters. [228.42]
October 28
  • Disney completes the Mickey Mouse film The Beach Party. Pluto and Clarabelle Cow also appear. [16] [23]
November 5
  • The Mickey Mouse film The Beach Party is released. [228.44]
November 25
  • Disney completes the Mickey Mouse film Mickey Cuts Up. Minnie Mouse and Pluto also appear. [16] [23] [15] [228.319]
December 5
  • Disney completes the Mickey Mouse film Mickey's Orphans. Minnie Mouse and Pluto also appear. [16] [23] [15]
December 9
  • The Mickey Mouse film Mickey's Orphans is released to theaters. [228.327]

End of 1930-1931. Next: 1932.
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Search the timeline
1928-1929 1930-1931 1932-1934 1935-1939 1940-1959 1960-1984 1985-1994 1995-end


A list of references to all source material is available.

Other web pages of interest:

  • Chronology of the Walt Disney Company
  • Chronology of Disneyland
  • Chronology of Walt Disney World
  • Disney References in Pop Culture
  • Polsson's Garage Sale - Walt Disney
  • Today in Disney History
  • This Day in History
    Last updated: 2010 December 1.
    Copyright © 2006-2010 Ken Polsson (email: ken@kpolsson.com).
    URL: http://kpolsson.com/mmouse/
    Link to Ken P's home page.


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