By Jordynn Abernathy and Zack Sims
Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse! To celebrate, we have a list of 10 fun facts to make you the Mickey Mouse expert.
- His name was originally “Mortimer”, but Walt Disney’s wife refused and suggested “Mickey” a better choice.
- His official debut was in 1928 as “Steamboat Willy”.
- His first words were “hot dogs” playing a hot dog salesman in “The Karnival Kid”.
- From 1928 to 1946 the voice of Mickey Mouse was done by Walt Disney himself.
- He is one of the most well-known characters around the globe, even surpassing Santa Claus.
- Children in WWII wore Mickey Mouse gas masks to protect themselves and eliminate the fear of war.
- Mickey Mouse was the first animated character to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- He has posed in a picture with every U.S. president since Harry Truman, except for Lyndon B. Johnson.
- In 2005, he was the first cartoon character to serve as the Grand Marshall of the Rose Parade.
- The Academy Award nominated Mickey Mouse 10 times for best animated film.
If you want to know more about the history of Mickey Mouse, check out our timeline.
