1940

February 7

• RKO Radio Pictures world premieres Disney's second animated feature film, Pinocchio, at the Central Theatre in New York. The film cost US$2.6 million to make. The film is based on the story by Carlo Lorenzini. [1] [6] [7] [8] [11] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [22] [23] [24] [34.117] [42.1663] [49.258] [92.80] [97.145] [190.26] [191] [228.388] [230.31] [249.27] [370.32] [1073.48] [1102.327] (February 8 [81])

February 9

• The film Pinocchio opens in Los Angeles theaters. [42.1663]

February 12

• The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominates the film The Pointer for an Oscar Award in the category Short Subjects, Cartoons. [39.386]
• The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominates the film The Ugly Duckling for an Oscar Award in the category Short Subjects, Cartoons. [39.386]

February

• Western Publishing (Dell Publishing Company) produces Dell Color Comics comic book #4, featuring Donald Duck. [75] [113.151,330]

February 23

• RKO Radio Pictures releases the film Pinocchio to theaters. [16] [42.1663] [370.32] (February 7 [230.31] [250.98] [325.73])

February 29

• The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awards an Oscar (Short Subjects, Cartoons) to Disney for the film The Ugly Duckling. [13] [16] [23] [38.98] [39.386]

March 11

• Walt Disney signs a seven-year contract with the Disney studio at US$2000 per week. [1102.329]

March 15

• The Donald Duck film The Riveter is released to theaters. [16] [23] [501.472]

March

• The Disney studio and Samuel Goldwyn, Inc. begin informal work on a collaborative film about the life of Hans Christian Andersen. Disney's studio would animate the fairy tales, and Goldwyn would produce the live-action sequences. [176.76]

April 2

• Walt Disney Productions first offers shares in the company to the public. 155,000 shares of preferred stock are offered at US$25 per share, and 600,000 of common stock for US$5 per share. US$3.5 million is raised from the stock offering. [23] [24] [48.164] [267.140] [501.524] (US$4 million [34.117]) (US$8 million [40.192]) (April 1 [1102.331])

April 5

• The Donald Duck film Donald's Dog Laundry is released to theaters. Pluto also appears. [16] [23] [228.147]

April 26

• The Mickey Mouse film Tugboat Mickey is released to theaters. Donald Duck and Goofy also appear. [16] [23] [501.574]

May 6

• Walt Disney Studios completes its move to Burbank, California. [22] [49.257] [92.83] [113.186] [228.248] [939.4]

May 17

• The Donald Duck film Bill Posters is released to theaters. Goofy also appears. [16] [23] (Billposters [228.55])

June 7

• The Donald Duck film Mr. Duck Steps Out is released to theaters. Daisy Duck, Huey, Dewey, and Louie also appear. [16] [23] [113.210] [228.336]

June 19

• The "Mickey Mouse" comic strip is published containing a small swastika in the last panel of the strip. [34.149]

June 28

• Disney's first Pluto film, Bone Trouble, is released to theaters. Butch, the bulldog, debuts. [16] [23] [113.210] [228.63]

(month unknown)

• The "Dell Black and White Comics" comic book "Donald Duck" is first published. [113.330]
• Ub Iwerks returns to work at the Disney Studios, as head of the technical research division. [229.40] [38.114] [96.10]
• The Disney Studios' debt reaches US$4.5 million. [23]
• A compilation of six short films, La Grande Parade de Walt Disney, is released in France. [23]
• Thelma Boardman takes over from Marcellite Garner as the voice of Minnie Mouse. [96.35]
• Irving Ludwig joins the Disney company. (He manages the road show arrangements of the film Fantasia, later becoming president of the Buena Vista Distribution Company. He is named a Disney Legend in 1993.) [228.298]

July 6

• Walt Disney shows a reel of Bambi to Bank of America executives. [1102.338]

July

• The film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is re-released in theaters in Canada and the US, under the title The Walt Disney Festival, together with four animated short films. [177.72]

July 19

• The Donald Duck film Put-Put Troubles is released to theaters. Pluto also appears. [16] [23] [228.403]

August 9

• The Donald Duck film Donald's Vacation is released to theaters. [16] [23] [228.148]

August 30

• The Pluto film Pluto's Dream House is released to theaters. Mickey Mouse also appears. [16] [23] [82.9] [228.393]

September 1

• Disney delivers the animated film The Volunteer Worker to the Community Chests and Councils, Incorporated. Donald Duck appears in the film. [23] [501.589]

September

• The last issue of the third Mickey Mouse Magazine is published. [113.145,151,328] [228.99,323]
• A fourth Mickey Mouse Magazine is published in the US, consisting mostly of comic strips. (It lasts for only four issues.) [650.50]

September 20

• The Donald Duck film Window Cleaners is released to theaters. Pluto also appears. [16] [23] [501.614]

October 12

• Walt shows Igor Stravinsky the finished film of Fantasia. [35.117] [1102.344]

October

• Dell Publishing Company begins publishing Walt Disney's Comics and Stories in the US. [75] [113.145,151] [501.597]

October 23

• Igor Stravinsky sells the film rights to Disney for "Renard", "Fireworks", and "The Firebird". [35.117] [1102.345]

November 1

• The Mickey Mouse film Mr. Mouse takes a Trip is released to theaters. Pluto also appears. [16] [23] [228.336]

November 11

• Disney completes work on Fantasia. [35.12]

November 13

• RKO Radio Pictures world premieres Disney's third animated feature film, Fantasia, at New York's Broadway Theater. The film introduces stereophonic sound to motion pictures via a special sound system called Fantasound. The film cost US$2.28 million to make. This is Mickey Mouse' feature film debut, in the segment The Sorcerer's Apprentice. This 10.5 minute segment alone cost US$125,000 to make. [5] [6] [8] [11] [13] [15] [17] [16] [22] [23] [35.9] [37.53] [34.136] [42.609] [49.258] [48.162] [56.216] [81] [92.82] [96.64] [97.156] [113.210] [176.128] [191] [192.105] [234.82] [228.70,173] [267.135] [370.38] [685.29] [911.70] [1073.49] [1102.341]

November 22

• The Goofy film Goofy's Glider is released to theaters. [16] [23] [228.213]

(month unknown)

• Disney issues its first Annual Report. [113.328]

December 5

• The Screen Cartoonists Guild informs Disney it had collected cards from a majority of Disney employees, and would ask for recognition. [1102.357]

December 6

• Walt Disney asks Art Babbit to reconvene the Cartoonists Federation union. [1102.357]

December 7

• The Disney studio sends application slips to all employees to join the Cartoonists Federation. [1102.357]

December 13

• The Donald Duck film Fire Chief is released to theaters. Huey, Dewey, and Louie also appear. [16] [23] [228.185]

December

• The Los Angeles County Museum puts on an exhibition of Disney's work. The exhibit includes a Disney animator at work, a model of the multi-plane camera, sculptural models of Disney characters, music from Fantasia, and a screen showing 15 minutes of animation excerpts. [221.32]

December 27

• The Pluto film Pantry Pirate is released to theaters. [16] [15] [23] [228.379] (1941 [16])