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Walter Elias Disney was born December 5, 1901 in Chicago, Illinois. His parents were Elias and Flora Disney, and his siblings were Herbert, Ray, Roy, and Ruth.
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Walt's parents were tired of living in Chicago, so in 1906, the family moved to Marceline, Missouri to be closer to family. There, Walt attended Park Elementary School. In this small town, Walt began to draw animals and follow his imagination.
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In 1911, Walt's father became ill, so the Disney family moved to Kansas City where Walt and his brother Roy helped their father to deliver newspapers. He was only 9 years old when Walt had to get up every morning at 3:30 to deliver newspapers for two hours to help his family earn money.
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When Walt was in high school, he lied about his age (with the help of his mother) in order to join the Red Cross Ambulance Corps in Europe after World War I. Walt headed to France in 1918, and for nine months, he drove supply trucks and ambulances and chauffeured officers.
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After he got back from the war, Disney owned an animation company in Kansas City. When that business was shut down, he decided to move to Hollywood. There, he and his brother, Roy, started the "Disney Brothers Studio."
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After many failures, Disney finally created a cartoon that was very successful. Disney released "Steamboat Willie," which became the most successful sound cartoon of its time. This is a clip of "Steamboat Willie."
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In 1937, Disney released "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," the first full-length animated feature film ever created. He won an Academy Award that year for his hard work.
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Walt Disney opened his theme park, Disneyland, in Anaheim, California. He wanted a place that both adults and children could enjoy, where they could immerse themselves in his cartoons instead of just watching them. This website has maps showing how Disneyland has changed since it first opened: http://www.disneyavenue.com/2015/04/disneyland-map-evolution-1955-2015.html
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After battling lung cancer, Walt Disney died December 15, 1966. Walt Disney came from humble beginnings and was able to overcome many obstacles in order to be one of the most successful people of all time. To this day, Walt Disney holds the record for most Academy Awards won, and continues to be a household name for all generations.
