15 amazing facts about Walt Disney: from his secret flat in Disneyland and holding the record for most Oscar wins ever, to his ‘real-life Mary Poppins’ housekeeper dying a multimillionaire
- Born on December 5, 1901 – 120 years ago – Walt Disney made millions from theme parks Disneyland and Disney World, and his animated films, but his first company went bankrupt
- He still holds the record for most Oscar wins by a single person – including for Hollywood’s first-ever animated feature-length film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Walt Disney was born 120 years ago – on December 5, 1901 – and still holds the record for the most Academy Awards won by a single person ever. At the time of his death, his net worth is estimated to have been around US$150 million – which would be around US$1 billion today.
Here are a few facts you might not know about the man who made Mickey Mouse a household name …
He was the son of a carpenter
In 1901, Walt Disney was born on the second floor of a wooden cottage designed and built by his parents in Chicago. He was the fourth child of Elias Disney, a carpenter, and his wife, Flora.
“Mother was the architect and between the two, mother drew the plans, and mother bought the materials and dad was the builder and they worked like a team,” Walt’s older brother, Roy, said in a 1967 interview, according to a 1991 City of Chicago report.
It cost them US$800 to build, according to The Walt Disney Birthplace. This was not an insignificant sum – Elias was making a dollar a day at the time.
“A dollar a day. Seven dollars a week. That’s all he made for the year, averaged for the year was US$7 a week,” Flora said at the couple’s 50th wedding anniversary, according to the Walt Disney Archives.
The house still stands today and has been restored to how it looked when the Disney family lived there.