Mickey Mouse’s Birthday and 6 More Fun Facts About the World’s Favorite Rodent

A strong case can be made that Mickey Mouse is the most famous fictional character in the world. The iconic rodent — and the three-circled silhouette that represents him — is seen everywhere from toys to cartoons to tattoos to theme park attractions.

However, despite being famous the world over, there are many facts about Mickey’s past and creation that still remain unknown to many. These are just some of those Mickey Mouse fun facts from across the character’s history.

Mickey’s Birthday

Disney celebrates Mickey Mouse’s birthday each year on November 18th. This is quite the significant date in both Mickey’s history as well as that of the overall Disney company. You see, on November 18, 1928 Mickey made his public debut in the animated short Steamboat Willie.

The cartoon was revolutionary for the time, being the first in history to have a fully synchronized soundtrack. Steamboat Willie was a massive smash, and launched Mickey into the stratosphere immediately. However, one can question if the character would have taken off under his original planned name… 

Mortimer (?) Mouse

As the legend goes, Walt Disney first created the basic concept of the character of Mickey Mouse while on a cross-country train back to California after losing the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Walt allegedly wanted to name the character Mortimer. However — thankfully — Walt’s wife Lilian stepped in as the voice of reason, suggesting the name Mickey instead. 

Nearly 65-Year Wait

While Mickey Mouse has been part of Disney’s theme parks in many ways — including character appearances, merchandise, logos, shows like the Mickey Mouse Revue and PhilharMagic, and even the star of his own land at the the Magic Kingdom —  since the opening of Disneyland, he didn’t have a ride of his own until 2020.

That finally changed when Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway opened at Hollywood Studios. A version of the land opened at Disneyland in 2022. 

Walk of Fame

On November 18, 1978 — Mickey’s 50th birthday — the “big cheese” became the first animated character to have a star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame. 

The Creator’s Voice

While Steamboat Willie did have a synchronized audio track, the character didn’t actually speak until the 9th Mickey cartoon, The Karnival Kid, where he uttered his first words: “Hot Dog.” Walt Disney was unhappy with the approach of most of the actors who auditioned to voice Mickey, leading Walt himself to voice the character, He remained in this role until 1947, and Walt’s portrayal is still the basis Mickey actors use to this day. 

Birth of the Mickey Mouse Club

The first Mickey Mouse Club was launched by a California theater owner Harry Woodin, who would hold special screenings of Mickey shorts, where children pledged allegiance to the Mouse among other things, Walt Disney was enamored with the idea, and teamed with Woodin to expand the concept. The most famous use of the title would come in the 1950s with the television series of the same name. 

Ub’s Influence

There was arguably no more influential creative force behind the early adventures of Mickey Mouse than Ub Iwerks, and that includes Walt Disney. Iwerks played a significant role in designing the character — turning Walt’s original concept into a working three dimensional figure. Iwerks animated and directed most of the early Mickey cartoons, including  Steamboat Willie, as well as writing a comic strip starring the character that appeared in 40 newspapers across 22 countries.

Did any of these fun facts change your opinion on Mickey Mouse? Let us know in the comments below!