It’s been 95 years since we first met ultimate power couple Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
The iconic Disney characters made their debut in Steamboat Willie on 18 November 1928, and this date is acknowledged as their joint birthday.
They had actually appeared in Plane Crazy six months earlier, although as it wasn’t picked up by a distributor at the time, Steamboat Willie is considered their first real outing.
But did you know Mickey was the first fictional character honoured on the Hollywood Walk of Fame?
Take a stroll down the famous Los Angeles strip and you’ll see stars from movies, TV and music immortalised by their very own star-shaped plaques in the ground.
The tourist hot-spot attracts millions of visitors from around the world, with people keen to get a snap of themselves posing next to the star dedicated to their favourite singer or actor.
Stars are also used as a point of tribute when a famous person who was bestowed the honour dies, with people flocking to the spot to leave flowers, light candles, and grieve with fellow fans.
And Mickey has held his spot on Hollywood Boulevard since 13 November 1978.
The Walk of Fame website says of him: “The anthropomorphic mouse has evolved from being simply a character in animated cartoons and comic strips to become one of the most recognizable symbols in the world.”
He was the first ever fictional character selected by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to be included, paving the way for others like The Simpsons, Godzilla, The Muppets and Shrek to join the ranks in later years.
Mickey’s wife Minnie – Walt Disney himself once clarified the pair had married in their “private life” – was also inducted into the Walk of Fame, but not until much later on 22 January 2018.
But her ceremony was attended by singer Katy Perry, who helped unveil the star, so it was pretty special.
Ana Martinez, Producer of the Walk of Fame ceremonies, said at the time: “Minnie Mouse is a woman of the ages and her iconic status makes her a great addition to our Walk of Fame.
“Generations of fans of all ages have been looking forward to her seeing her bright new star. It was great seeing all her fans decked out in polka dots and mouse ears today in celebration of Disney’s Annual Rock the Dots Day which is a tribute to Minnie.”
This has been a very special year for Disney, with 16 October marking the 100th anniversary of the company.
Brothers Walt and Roy Disney founded the company, then called Disney Brothers Studio, on that date in 1923.
The name was changed a few times before they settled on The Walt Disney Company in 1986.
It was the release of Steamboat Willie that established Disney as a leader in the animation industry, a reputation still firmly intact 100 years down the line.
Mickey has been part of many other record-making moments in history.
One of his cartoons was the last pre-war TV screening in Britain as World War II saw television stop in September 1939.
The cartoon ended with the screen going blank. No closing announcement was made.
Mickey also receives the most Hollywood fan mail with an average of 66,000 letters a month being addressed to him in 1933 alone.
A Nintendo game titled Mickey Mouse and released in 1981 was the first Disney videogame and a hand-painted animation cell from Mickey’s first colour cartoon The Band Concert became the most expensive animation cell in colour when it sold in a private transaction in 1999 for a reported $420,000 (then £272,000).
If you love watching records being broken you should check out our Records Weekly series on YouTube...
Want more? Follow us on Google News and across our social media channels to stay up-to-date with all things Guinness World Records! You can find us on Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Snapchat Discover.
Don't forget to check out our videos on YouTube and become part of our group chat by following the Guinness World Records WhatsApp channel.
Still not had enough? Click here to buy our latest book, filled to the brim with stories about our amazing record breakers.
Related Articles
