Mickey Mouse: 100 Things You May not Know About the Mouse that Runs Your House.

If you are human you must have at least once in life across Mickey Mouse. This legend has been raising a new generation of children since early 1900s and has been timeless. One might have seen him in newspaper, or as mischievous adventurer on the beefy TV in the 80s, 90s and 2000s or running his own clubhouse on modern day Disney channel and lately on their streaming services. Let's see how the journey of the mouse began?

Origins

Mickey Mouse is arguably the most well-known and well-known cartoon character of all time. Though he is no longer as rambunctious and mischievous as he once was, this iconic character continues to represent goodwill, kindness, friendship, and imagination.

Walter Elias Disney created Mickey Mouse in 1928 as a replacement for his lost creation Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, whom he had lost to Universal Studios earlier that year. Disney collaborated with cartoonist Ub Iwerks to create a cartoon mouse based on a childhood pet named Mortimer. Lillian, Walt's wife, persuaded him to change the name, and thus "Mickey Mouse" was born. Walt debuted Mickey in a short called Plane Crazy, which he co-directed with Ub as the main animator.

Despite the film's failure in theatres, Walt and Ub went on to create another short called the Gallopin Gaucho, which pitted Mickey against Black Pete, a character from Disney's early days who would soon become Mickey's arch-enemy.

In this short, Mickey was more heroic, but still a rogue; he and Pete would fight for Minnie's heart; Mickey would win the battle, and he and Minnie would ride into the sunset... on an ostrich.

Mickey's first shorts were a flop, but after some thought, Walt cast Mickey in his third short, the legendary.

This was the first Mickey Mouse short to find a decent distributor and the first Mickey cartoon with sound, and it launched Mickey into stardom.

Mickey, with a new design and a slightly less mischievous demeanour, appeared in a slew of cartoon shorts and comic books. Mickey quickly surpassed other popular cartoons like Felix The Cat and Popeye. Mickey Mouse was the first fictional character to have his name etched on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Mickey also began to appear in comic books and comic strips, which he continues to do to this day.

Mickey's popularity dwindled as he became more passive. Donald Duck got his feisty mischievousness, while Goofy got his innocent naivety.

Lets see some of the interesting and unknown facts about this legendary Mouse.

Facts

1. Mickey Mouse is a mischievous and cheerful anthropomorphic mouse who became a worldwide cult figure after appearing in over 100 cartoons.
2. Back in the 1950s, one of the most popular children's television shows was Mickey Mouse Club.
3. The show's main stars wore signature black caps, which became the most widely distributed item in Disney merchandising history in the 1950s.
4. Floyd Gottfredson created the majority of the Mickey Mouse comic strips, which ran for 45 years. 
5. Mickey Mouse has also appeared in a number of comic books, including Mickey Mouse Mystery Magazine, Mickey Mouse, Wizards of Mickey, and Disney Italy's Topolino.
6. Mickey has appeared in Mickey Mouse Club on TV, video games, and other media in addition to print.
7. According to Time, Mickey Mouse is such a well-known character around the world that he surpassed Santa Claus in recognition in 2008.
8. In the stories, Mickey and Minnie are married in private.
9. Mickey and Minnie were originally portrayed as regular-sized mice who lived as pests in a home with a community of mice.
10. Mickey and Minnie were shown to be human-sized as the show progressed, but when they appeared with humans, they were shown to be around 2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m) tall.
11. Mickey wears white gloves to distinguish his hands from the rest of his body.
12. Mickey Mouse's name was not decided upon at first. For his character, Walt Disney chose the name 'Mortimer Mouse.'
13. Mickey's name was given to him by Walt's wife. Lillian Disney, Walt's wife, didn't think the name was appropriate for the character, so she suggested 'Mickey.'
14. Mickey is much more than just 'Mickey Mouse.' Michael Theodore Mouse is his full name.
15. Topolino in Italy, Mi Lao Shu in China, and Musse Pigg in Sweden are some of Mickey's other names.
16. Walt Disney, the founder of The Walt Disney Company, provided the original voice of Mickey.
17. Only three people voiced Mickey between 1929 and 2009: Walt Disney, Jimmy MacDonald, and Wayne Allwine.
18. Mickey was first voiced by Walt Disney in 1929, then by Jimmy MacDonald in 1946, and finally by Wayne Allwine in 1983.
19. When Wayne Allwine died in 2009, Bret Iwan took over as the character's voice, while Chris Diamantopolous voiced the eponymous Mickey Mouse television show.
20. In the early cartoons, Walt Disney and other members of the company provided the voice of Minnie.
21. Marcellite Garner, an ink and paint artist, began voicing Minnie Mouse between 1930 and 1939.
22. Russi Taylor began voicing Minnie Mouse in 1986 and continued until her death in 2019.
23. Russi Taylor and Wayne Allwine, the artists who provided voices for Mickey and Minnie for the longest time, were married in real life.
24. There are four fingers on each of Mickey's hands, unlike real mice because Walt Disney thought that five fingers would have looked weird like a banana.
25. Since Walt Disney created Mickey Mouse in 1928, there have been numerous changes and improvements that have cemented the character's place in history.
26. 'Oswald the Lucky Rabbit' existed before Mickey Mouse. Walt lost Oswald's rights, which led to the creation of Mickey Mouse.
27. Mickey and Oswald have an uncanny resemblance, with both wearing shorts, having four fingers, and having a black body.
28. According to one story from the Kansas City Public Library, Walt got the idea for Mickey from a mouse who lived in a desk drawer at his Laugh-O-Gram studio.
29. According to another story, Walt got the idea for Mickey from his childhood pet mouse.
30. On a train ride from Manhattan to Hollywood, he had the inspiration for Mickey.
31. In 1978, Mickey Mouse became the first cartoon character to be honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
32. The first Mickey short in which Mickey wore his iconic white gloves was 'The Opry House.'
33. Since 'The Opry House,' Mickey has worn the gloves in all of his appearances, and the gloves have been added to many other characters as well.
34. Except for Lyndon Johnson, every US President since Harry Truman has been photographed with Mickey Mouse.
35. Mickey released a disco album in the 1970s that was certified double platinum.
36. Walt Disney once held the Technicolor patent for two years, which meant that only they could create colour animations.
37. Mickey Mouse made his first appearance in colour in 'Parade of the Award Nominees,' created for the 1932 Academy Awards. It was never made available to the general public.
38. Disney lost their Technicolor patent in 1935, but the same year they released their first official coloured Mickey Mouse short, 'The Band Concert.'
39. Mickey Mouse's last black-and-white appearance was in 'Mickey's Kangaroo,' which was released two months after the first coloured cartoon.
40. Mickey has worn over 175 different outfits throughout his career, and Minnie has worn over 200 different outfits.
41. Mickey's birthday had changed several times throughout the cartoon's history, but according to Walt Disney himself, Mickey's birthday was on October 1, 1928.
42. Early animators of Mickey found inspiration in comedic film stars such as Charlie Chaplin to draw Mickey Mouse's movements.
43. Ub Iwerks' Mickey comic strip, created in 1930, was published in 40 newspapers in 22 countries.
44. Walt Disney did not choose the name "Disneyland" for their theme park from the start. He even considered moving to 'Mickey Mouse Village.'
45. Mickey received his own entry in the Encyclopedia Britannica in 1934.
46. When discussing his achievements, Walt Disney once stated that he never wants to lose sight of the fact that all of their successes began with a mouse.
47. When Allied forces invaded Normandy on D-Day in 1944, a secret password used by intelligence officers was 'Mickey Mouse.'
48. Walt Disney received the League of Nations medal in 1935 because Mickey Mouse had become an international symbol of goodwill.
49. Minnie made her debut alongside Mickey in the short 'Barn Dance' (1929).
50. 'The Pointer,' the first Mickey cartoon in the style we know today, was released in 1939.
51. Since his debut in 1928, Mickey has appeared in over 100 cartoon shorts and more than 130 films.
52. Mickey Mouse has appeared in over 121 theatrical films, including featurettes and shorts.
53. For the first time, Mickey Mouse appeared in the Mickey short 'Plane Crazy.'
54. On November 18, 1928, Mickey made his first official film debut in the film 'Steamboat Willie.'
55. Only two silent Mickey Mouse cartoons were produced: 'Plane Crazy' (1928) and 'Gallopin' Gaucho' (1929). (1928).
56. The Walt Disney Company spent $2500 to create the first two and only two silent films.
57. Ub Iwerks, a Disney legend, was the only animator for 'Plane Crazy,' and he created 700 drawings for the cartoon every day.
58. The first Mickey Mouse production with sound was 'Steamboat Willie' (1928), but Mickey did not speak until 'The Karnival Kid'.
59. 'Steamboat Willie' was originally intended to be a silent film, but it was not released until it was given sound.
60. After seeing the film 'The Jazz Singer,' Walt Disney was inspired to add synchronised sound to 'Steamboat Willie.'
61. 'Steamboat Willie' was meant to be a parody of 'Steamboat Bill, Jr.,' which was released the same year and starred Buster Keaton.
62. The Disney Company considered 'Steamboat Willie' to be Mickey's debut because it was the first-ever Mickey production to find a distributor.
63. For a two-week run of 'Steamboat Willie,' Walt was paid $1000. It was the highest amount ever paid for a cartoon on Broadway at the time.
64. Mickey's first appearance in a feature film was in 'Fantasia,' a two-hour film released in 1940.
65. With 'Fantasia,' Disney introduced stereophonic sound to motion pictures. This was accomplished using a $2.28 million sound system called 'Fantasound.'
66. Mickey did not speak in 'Steamboat Willie,' but he whistled a tune that was based on Arthur Collins' song 'Steamboat Bill.'
67. In the short 'The Karnival Kid,' Mickey said his first words, 'Hot dog! Hot dog!' (1929).
68. When Mickey said his first words, he became the first cartoon character in television history to do so.
69. Mickey Mouse has only appeared in two Academy Awards ceremonies, in 1988 and 2003. He presented the award for Best Animated Short Film both times.
70. Walt Disney received an honorary Academy Award in 1933 for his creation of Mickey Mouse.
71. Even a Mickey Mouse short, 'Lend A Paw,' won an Academy Award in 1941. Pluto, not Mickey, was the focus of the short.
72. When Mickey turned 90, ABC television announced a two-hour prime-time special to commemorate the occasion.
73. The two-hour primetime special on ABC television featured previously unseen short videos. Celebrities reminisced about Mickey and performed Disney songs.
74. According to Disney, Mickey's four fingers instead of five saved them millions of dollars.
75. Disney and its animators had to create 45,000 drawings for a 6.5-minute Mickey short.
76. The song 'Minnie's Yoo Hoo' from 'Mickey's Follies' was the first to be used in any Disney film or short.
77. Mickey Mouse is one of the most entertaining cartoon characters on television. There are numerous hidden fun facts that will fascinate you.
78. The renowned American actor Mickey Rooney claimed that his name influenced Mickey Mouse's name.
79. Mickey Mouse's name has appeared on voter registration lists fraudulently numerous times, including during the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election.
80. To rebrand Mickey's image from squeaky clean to mischievous, the Walt Disney Company released the game Epic Mickey.
81. Mickey's gloves have three lines that represent the typical design of the time, as well as darts in the fabric that extend from between his fingers.
82. Mickey Mouse first appeared in the 'Macy's Santa Claus Parade,' now known as the 'Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade,' in 1934.
83. The Mickey balloon in the 1934 'Macy's Santa Claus Parade' stood 40 feet (12.2 metres) tall and was guided by women and men dressed as Mickey Mouse characters.
84. Every Saturday afternoon, Harry Woodin, a theatre manager, dedicated his theatre to showing only Mickey Mouse shows.
85. Walt Disney collaborated with Harry Woodin to build more Mickey Mouse Clubs in movie theatres around the world after seeing his efforts.
86. The '50s Mickey Mouse Club revival helped Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears advance in their careers.
87. Since the first Disneyland park opened in 1955, Mickey Mouse has been one of the most important parts of Disney theme parks.
88. Disneyland Park's famous 'Partners Statue,' a sculpture of Mickey and Walt Disney holding hands, debuted in 1993.
89. The second 'Partners Statue' first appeared in Walt Disney World Resort's Magic Kingdom Park in 1995.
90. Many Mickey Mouse images can be found hidden in Disney films or merchandise, similar to Easter eggs. These are referred to as 'Hidden Mickeys.'
91. Many Mickey Mouse figures can also be found throughout the Disneyland theme parks. Finding these can be a lot of fun.
92. All Mickey Mouse mascots who work at Disneyland must practise the 'Mickey' signature, which can be difficult due to the large white gloves.
93. All Mickey Mouse mascots who work at a Disneyland theme park must also be at least 54-62 inches (1.3-1.6 metres) tall.
94. The first piece of Mickey Mouse merchandise was a paper tablet designed for children that featured Mickey.
95. Back in 1930, the first Mickey Mouse doll was designed.
96. Bibo-Lang published the first Mickey Mouse book, titled 'Mickey Mouse Book,' in 1930.
97. Ingersoll-Waterbury introduced the iconic Mickey Mouse wristwatch in 1933. They were only $2.95 back then.
98. In 1957, the Ingersoll-Waterbury company sold the 25 millionth Mickey Mouse wristwatch. This later served as the foundation for the 'Timex' brand.
99. Not only are Mickey and Minnie married, but they also share the same birthday, November 18.
100. Mickey's ears appear to be a perfect circle at all times, no matter where he looks, according to his drawings.