Mickey

Born: 1928 Birthplace: Los Angeles, California Best known as: Walt Disney's famous mouse Mickey Mouse debuted in the 1928 animated short Steamboat Willie and went on to become the familiar symbol of Walt Disney studios. A cheerful rodent in white gloves and red shorts, Mickey starred in dozens of Disney shorts and the 1940 animated feature Fantasia, becoming one of the world's best-known cartoon characters. After 1950 Mickey appeared only rarely in films and instead settled into a role as Disney's ambassador in its TV shows, advertisements and theme parks. Extra credit: According to legend, Disney planned to name the mouse "Mortimer" until his wife suggested the name of Mickey... Mickey's longtime girlfriend is Minnie Mouse and his dog is named Pluto... Disney's TV show The Mickey Mouse Club debuted in 1955 and became a long-running hit, launching the career of "Mouseketeer" Annette Funicello. The show was revived in 1977 and again in the 1990s, when its cast members included future music stars Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Justin Timberlake... Mickey's contemporary cousins at Disney include The Little Mermaid and Jessica Rabbit.