Culture

Mickey Mouse Turns 81: Happy Birthday, Steamboat Willie

by Jordan Yerman | November 18, 2009 at 08:14 am

3134 views | 8 Recommendations | 6 comments

Mickey Mouse turns 81 today. On November 18, 1928, Steamboat Willie was released by the Walt Disney Co. While Mickey Mouse appeared in Plane Crazy earlier that year, Steamboat Willie had sound, and is therefore considered the first real appearance of Mickey Mouse. A year later, in Opry House, Mickey Mouse would get his white gloves, which he wears to this day. How does Mickey keep them clean?

Steamboat Willie opened in New York ahead of a film called Gang War. Mickey Mouse has gone on to become the most famous cartoon character in the world. Mickey Mouse is the face (and silhouette) of Disneyland and the wide range of Disney merchandise, as well as a popular "American" icon used to sell bootleg Western products abroad. Personally, this is my favorite version of Mickey Mouse: a hastily-drawn shorthand for "Americanism" used to sell stuff to homesick tourists. Usually he ends up looking like a more realistic version of a rat or a dog, but still.

It's kind of weird that Mickey Mouse doesn't get a Google doodle, huh?

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YankeeJim

at 08:25 on November 18th, 2009

Micky had a fall in his little shower this morning, but he will be alright.

ANGE4L (not verified)

at 12:33 on November 18th, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICKEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

DONNA M.RILLING (not verified)

at 13:13 on November 18th, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICKEY MOUSE I ENJOY VISIT DISNEY WORLD EVERY YEAR. GO OUT WITH MINNIE MOUSE AND HAVE A GOOD TIME. YOUR BIG FAN DONNA M. RILLING OF VOORHEES.NJ

billy37 (not verified)

at 15:09 on November 18th, 2009

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} Happy Birthday Mickey!!! You've been making us laugh for a long time, may you continue doing so for even longer! Here is some background to the world’s most famous mouse! <a href="ketiva.com/Arts_and_Humanities/the_worlds_most_famous_mouse_celebrates_81st_birthday1.html">ketiva.com/Arts_and_Humanities/the_worlds_most_famous_mouse_celebrates_81st_birthday1.html</a>

billy37 (not verified)

at 15:10 on November 18th, 2009

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} Happy Birthday Mickey!!! You've been making us laugh for a long time, may you continue doing so for even longer! Here is some background to the world’s most famous mouse! ketiva.com/Arts_and_Humanities/the_worlds_most_famous_mouse_celebrates_81st_birthday1.html

billy37 (not verified)

at 15:11 on November 18th, 2009

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} Happy Birthday Mickey!!! You've been making us laugh for a long time, may you continue doing so for even longer! Here is some background to the world’s most famous mouse! ketiva.com/Arts_and_Humanities/the_worlds_most_famous_mouse_celebrates_81st_birthday1.html