Happy birthday, Mickey Mouse! Disney icon turns 94 years old

Mickey Mouse has brought a smile to the hearts and minds of kids, and even some adults, for 94 years.

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On Nov. 18, fans of Mickey and the rest of Disney are celebrating his “birthday.”

Here are 10 roles Mickey has been featured in. Some are iconic like his donning of a sorcerer’s hat, while others are just gaining steam among those who don’t eat, live and breathe Disney.

1. “Steamboat Willie”

Mickey first made it to the big screen, on Nov. 18, 1928 in his first cartoon released “Steamboat Willie.” It was one of the first synchronized sound cartoons produced and was entered into the National Film Registry in 1998. Walt Disney himself provided Mickey’s voice in the cartoon, as well as Minnie’s. Disney performed Mickey’s voice from 1928 to 1947 and again in 1955 to 1959.

[Watch “Steamboat Willie”:]

2. “Plane Crazy”

“Plane Crazy” was released four months after “Steamboat Willie,” but was, in fact, the first one animated. It made its official premiere on March 17, 1929.

[Watch “Plane Crazy”:]

3. “The Band Concert”

“The Band Concert” was the first color Mickey Mouse cartoon. It was released Feb. 23, 1935.

4. “Through the Mirror”

In “Through the Mirror,” Mickey Mouse takes over the lead character from Alice for a trip through the looking glass. It was released on April 30, 1936.

[Watch “Through the Mirror”:]

5. “Brave Little Tailor”

Mickey Mouse was the title tailor in this 1938 short. He boasts that he killed “7 with one blow.” Townspeople think he is talking about troublesome giants, while in reality, Mickey was talking about houseflies. “Brave Little Tailor” was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short.

6. “Fantasia”

Mickey Mouse donned a sorcerers hat in 1940, in perhaps his most iconic role in “Fantasia.” The movie itself was something that not many people may have seen by 1940, animated vignettes set to classical music. Mickey Mouse was the apprentice to the sorcerer named Yensid (Disney spelled backward)

[Watch a clip of Sorcerer’s Apprentice here.]

7. “Fun and Fancy Free”

Mickey Mouse had a new voice in 1947 for the movie “Fun and Fancy Free’s” “Mickey and the Beanstalk” segment. James MacDonald took over voicing Mickey Mouse for Disney when Walt’s schedule or voice would not allow it.

[Watch a clip of “Mickey and the Beanstalk” here.]

8. “Mickey’s Christmas Carol”

Christmas came early in 1983 as Mickey Mouse took on the role of Bob Cratchit in “Mickey’s Christmas Carol.” It was the first time that Wayne Allwine voiced Mickey in a theatrical role. Before the short, Allwine did his voice for “The New Mickey Mouse Club.”  Allwine, who was married to the actress who gives Minnie Mouse her voice, voiced Mickey until his death in May 2009.

Watch a clip of “Mickey’s Christmas Carol”:

9. “Get a Horse!”

Released in Nov. 2013, “Get a Horse” is a classic-looking, and sounding, cartoon with a twist. Mickey and the gang jump out of the black and white world, and into a world of full color. With cameos of classic Disney characters like Peg-Leg Pete and Horace Horsecollar, it marks the first time Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a creation of Walt’s that ended up to the eventual creation of Mickey, makes an appearance with Mickey. It also features Walt as the voice of Mickey.

[Watch a clip of “Get a Horse”:]

10. Mickey Mouse Shorts

In June 2013, Disney started producing shorts for its YouTube channel. The first one, “No Service,” has had more than 8 million views. The latest, “Carried Away,” was posted in July.

[Watch the short here:]

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