Walt Disney designed the character while riding on a train back to Los Angeles with his wife Lillian. After completing his sketch, Walt showed it to Lillian and said his name was Mortimer Mouse. Lillian did not like the name and suggested Mickey Mouse. And so was the birth of Mickey Mouse.
The first two Mickey Mouse films that Walt made cost the studio $2,500 each.
Mickey Mouse made his debut in Steamboat Willie on November 18, 1928, at the Colony Theater in New York.
Steamboat Willie was Disney's first film with sound.
The original voice of Mickey Mouse was Walt Disney.
Mickey's first words were spoken in 1929 inThe Karnival Kid.
The first Mickey Mouse Club was formed in 1929, at the Fox Dome Theater in Ocean Park, CA. Soon, others were formed in movie houses around the country.
The first Mickey Mouse book was The Mickey Mouse Book, published in 1930 by Bibo-Lang.
In 1932, a special Academy Award was given to Walt Disney for the creation of Mickey Mouse
In January, 1933, Kay Kamen created the Mickey Mouse Magazine. It was a small publication containing short stories, articles, gags, games and poems. There were 9 monthly issues of the magazine distributed through movie houses and department stores around the country.
The first Mickey Mouse cartoon in color was The Band Concert, which premEared on February 23, 1935.
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In 1935, The League of Nations awarded Walt Disney a medal for the creation of Mickey Mouse.
Mickey was originally drawn with circles for his head, body and ears. In 1939, that design was changed to the more pear shaped appearance we see now. Also, pupils were added to his eyes. The first film Mickey appeared in with his new features was The Pointer. .
Mickey's first appearance in a feature film was in 1940 in Fantasia, where he appeared in his most famous role as the Sorcerer's Apprentice. His image was modified for this feature film debut to include eye pupils and a more three-dimensional appearance.
Mickey's greatest honor came in 1944 when the Allied Forces, under General Dwight D. Eisenhower, prepared to invade the continent of Europe. The code name for the invasion was: Mickey Mouse.
From Mickey's Christmas Carol a Mickey Mouse cartoon featurette was made and premiered in England on October 20, 1983. Directed by Burny Mattinson. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Short Film. The song "Oh, What a Merry Christmas Day" was written by Frederick Searles and Irwin Kostal.
Walt Disney provided the voice of Mickey Mouse until 1946. Jim Macdonald took over and was Mickey's voice for 3 decades until he retired. The current voice of Mickey Mouse is Wayne Allwine.
Mickey Mouse's favorite sayings are: "Gosh!" "Oh boy!" "That sure is swell!" "Aw, gee..." "See ya soon!"
Mickey Mouse is the offical greeter of Disneyland and Walt Disney World.