Disney celebrates its 100th anniversary.Timeline of major events

December 5, 1901: Walter Elias Disney was born in Chicago.

October 16, 1923: Walt and his brother Roy sign a contract to produce a series of animated films called “Alice Comedies.” They call their company Disney Brothers Studio.

1926: Changed company name to Walt Disney Studios.

1928: Disney introduced the character of Mickey Mouse with the release of “Steamboat Willie.”

1937: Disney released the feature film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, breaking new ground in animated storytelling.

1940: Disney has completed its move to a new studio in Burbank.

1941: Disney animators went on strike for four months, and Walt Disney was angry at his ungrateful employees.

1950: The release of Cinderella was a huge commercial and critical hit, reinvigorating Walt Disney and his studio.

1955: Disneyland opens in Anaheim.

1964: Julie Andrews’ first film, Mary Poppins, premieres.

December 15, 1966: Walt Disney dies at the age of 65.

1971: Walt Disney World opens in Orlando.

1983: Tokyo Disneyland opens.

1984: Disney’s board of directors has named Michael Eisner as the company’s chief executive officer.

1992: Euro Disney is open. (Renamed Disneyland Paris in 1994.)

1995: Disney acquires Capital City/ABC for $19 billion. In the same year, Disney released Pixar Animation Studios’ Toy Story, which grossed $361.5 million in worldwide ticket sales.

1997: Disney and Pixar have announced a deal to make five more films together.

1999: Disney has acquired the Anaheim Angels baseball team outright after previously owning a minority stake.

2001: A new amusement park called California Adventure will open next to Disneyland.

2003: Disney sells Anaheim Angels to Arte Moreno.

2003: Walt Disney’s nephew, Roy Disney, resigned from the company’s board of directors and called for Mr. Eisner’s resignation, saying the entertainment conglomerate had “lost focus, creative energy and tradition.”

Year 2005: Walt Disney directors selected Robert Iger to succeed Eisner as president.

2009: Disney has reached a deal to buy comic book company Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion in cash and stock.

2019: Disney acquires 21st Century Fox’s entertainment assets for $71.3 billion.

2020: Iger will step down as Disney’s CEO and be replaced by Bob Chapek.

2022: Mr. Iger was rehired as CEO after the board was dissatisfied with the company’s financial performance under Capek.