- January 22
- The ABC TV network airs the Walt Disney Presents TV show, featuring the sixth "The Swamp Fox" episode, A Case of Treason. [370.395] [501.533]
- January 29
- The ABC TV network airs the Walt Disney Presents TV show, entitled Wild Burro of the West. [370.395] [501.611]
- February 5
- The ABC TV network airs the Walt Disney Presents TV show, entitled Two Happy Amigos. [370.395] [501.577]
- February 10
- The Stage Coach attraction ceases operations in Frontierland at Disneyland. [1300.393] (February 1, 1956 [501.520])
- February 12
- The ABC TV network airs the Walt Disney Presents TV show, featuring the tenth "Tales of Texas John Slaughter" episode, Desperado from Tombstone. [370.395] [501.548]
- February 17
- The Satellite View of America exhibit at Disneyland closes. [501.515] [1300.389]
- February 19
- The ABC TV network airs the Walt Disney Presents TV show, featuring the 11th "Tales of Texas John Slaughter" episode, Apache Friendship. [370.395] [501.548]
- February 22
- The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominates the film Sleeping Beauty for an Oscar Award in the category Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture. [39.499]
- The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominates the film Noah's Ark for an Oscar Award in the category Short Subjects, Cartoons. [39.499]
- The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominates the film Mysteries of the Deep for an Oscar Award in the category Short Subjects, Live-Action Subjects. [39.499]
vvv advertisement vvv
^^^ advertisement ^^^
- The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominates the film Donald in Mathmagic Land for an Oscar Award in the category Short Subjects, Cartoons. [39.499]
- February 24
- Buena Vista premieres Disney's live-action feature film Kidnapped in selected theaters. The film is based on the book by Robert Louis Stevenson. [228.274] [230.31] [250.98] [370.167]
- February 26
- The ABC TV network airs the Walt Disney Presents TV show, featuring the 12th "Tales of Texas John Slaughter" episode, Kentucky Gunslick. [370.395] [501.548]
- March 4
- The ABC TV network airs the Walt Disney Presents TV show, featuring the 13th "Tales of Texas John Slaughter" episode, Geronimo's Revenge. [370.395] [501.548]
- March 11
- The ABC TV network airs the Walt Disney Presents TV show, entitled This is Your Life, Donald Duck. [370.395] [501.551]
- March
- The film America the Beautiful opens in the Circarama, U.S.A theater in Tomorrowland at Disneyland. [9] [26.26] [228.21,93]
- March 16
- Disney releases the True-Life Adventure film Islands of the Sea to theaters. [13] [23] [85.349] [228.258]
- March 18
- The ABC TV network airs the Walt Disney Presents TV show, featuring the ninth "Elfego Baca" episode, Friendly Enemies at Law. [228.159] [370.395]
- March 25
- The ABC TV network airs the Walt Disney Presents TV show, featuring the tenth "The Nine Lives of Elfego Baca" episode, Gus Tomlin Is Dead. [228.160] [370.395]
- April 1
- The ABC TV network airs the Walt Disney Presents TV show, entitled The Mad Hermit of Chimney Butte. [228.302] [370.395]
- April 4
- The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awards an Oscar (Scientific or Technical, Class III) to Ub Iwerks for the design of an optical printer for special effects. [23] [38.311] [39.499]
- April 6
- Disney releases the sixteenth People and Places film, Japan, to theaters. [23] [85.349] [228.262]
- April
- The Electric Cars attraction begins operation on Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland. [9] [26]
- Disney releases the live-action film Texas John Slaughter to theaters in Malaysia. The film comprises the first two televised episodes of the series. [23] [501.547]
- Buena Vista releases Disney's live-action feature film Kidnapped to theaters. [13] [23] [15] [49.269] [50.300] [79.167] [111.365] (March 25 [370.167])
- April 27
- Disney releases the seventeenth and final People and Places film The Danube to theaters. [23] [85.349] [1378.171]
- May 19
- Buena Vista releases Disney's live-action feature film Pollyanna to theaters. The film is based on the novel by Eleanor H. Porter. [13] [23] [49.269] [50.300] [79.170] [111.384] [209.31] [228.396] [232.85] [370.170] (1961 [15])
- May 28
- The Western Mine Train Through Nature's Wonderland attraction opens in Frontierland at Disneyland. The attraction cost US$1.8 million to build. It includes early technology leading to Audio-Animatronics, with 200 mechanical moving animals. [9] [20] [4] [26.26] [228.332] [939.71] [1300.298,349] (Grand Opening June 12 [328.288])
- The Art of Animation display opens in Tomorrowland at Disneyland. [9] [26.26] [1300.52] [1378.43]
- June 3
- The Puffin Bakery shop in Disneyland closes. [228.403] [1300.346]
- June 10
- The Rainbow Ridge Pack Mules ride at Disneyland re-opens as Pack Mules Through Nature's Wonderland. [9] [26.26] [225.110] [228.378] [1235.20] [1300.297]
- June 11
- Buena Vista releases Disney's live-action feature film The Sign of Zorro to theaters in the US. The film was made by splicing together several episodes of Disney's TV show Zorro. [13] [50.300] [79.179] [111.393] [370.179] [384.141] [501.499]
- June 15
- The Hallmark card shop opens on Main Street at Disneyland. [228.225] [1300.198]
- June
- Walt Disney Productions buys ABC's one-third interest in Disneyland for US$7.5 million, and is released from their TV contract. ABC cancels Zorro and The Mickey Mouse Club. [48.286] [267.206] [328.222] [426.74] [1102.569] (1957 [238.205])
- (month unknown)
- French publicist Paul Winkler signs a written contract with Disney for publishing Disney comic strips in Europe. For the past 30 years, permission had been granted without use of a written contract. [267.210]
- William Zeckendorf proposes that Disney join him as partners in his financially troubled Freedomland park in New York. Walt and Roy Disney decide against it. Soon after, the park closes. [267.243]
- T. Hee and Bob Kurtz begin work on a stop-motion paper sculpture film version of The Emperor's Nightingale. [176.70]
- The King of Siam bestows on Walt Disney the "most noble order of the Crown". [96.79]
- Disneyland welcomes its 20 millionth guest. [26.26]
- Disney receives the Thomas Edison Foundation Award for the film Eyes in Outer Space. [228.171]
- Disney releases the animated film compilation Mickey Mouse Festival to theaters in Germany. [23]
- Disney stages the ceremonies for the Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley. [48.346]
- The American Humane Association awards a PATSY award (First Place (Motion Picture)) to Shaggy, the dog from the film The Shaggy Dog. [45.612]
- Walt Disney travels to London to visit P.L. Travers, and successfully negotiates the rights to turn the book Mary Poppins into a movie. [34.257] [48.316] [234.114] [267.249]
- Walt Disney begins planning a screen version of P.L. Travers' Mary Poppins story. [17]
- The first Parade of Toys is held in Disneyland. [26.26]
- Walt Disney Productions buys the Western Printing and Lithography share of Disneyland (13.79%). [267.207] [328.222]
- Roy Disney buys out Walt Disney's 17.25% share of Disneyland for Walt Disney Productions. [267.207]
- Disneyland, Inc. becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walt Disney Productions. [328.222] [426.74]
- The Fire-Wagon horse-drawn Main Street vehicle ceases operating at Disneyland. [228.186]
- Walt Disney hires the song writing team of Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman. [37.123] (1961 [99.16])
- A Duckster award, a bronze-colored figure of Donald Duck, is created, and used to honor those who have been of service to the Walt Disney company. [228.152]
- The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway company renews its contract with Disney for a second five-year term, paying US$75,000 in the first three years, then US$100,000 for the last two years, to have its name and logo carried on the Disneyland railroad system. [328.274]
- Walt Disney purchases the film rights to the story The Small One. (A film will be released in 1978.) [501.506]
- July
- The Hall of Aluminum Fame attraction at Disneyland closes. [1300.198] (Aluminum Hall of Fame [228.20])
- July 31
- The Sunkist Citrus House shop opens on Main Street at Disneyland. [501.530] [1300.403]
- August 10
- Disney releases the live-action short film The Hound That Thought He was a Raccoon to theaters. The film is based on the story Weecha the Raccoon by Rutherford Montgomery. [23] [85.349] [190.51] [228.243]
- Buena Vista generally releases Disney's last True-Life Adventure film Jungle Cat to theaters. [13] [23] [49.269] [79.172] [111.365] [228.269] [370.172]
- August 31
- The Bathroom of Tomorrow exhibit at Disneyland closes. [1378.160] (August 30 [1300.68])
- September
- Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev is refused entry to Disneyland, due to security concerns. [4] [19] (1959 [228.273])
- Disney releases the film Secrets of the Ant and Insect World for educational use. [501.491]
- Disney releases the 16-mm film Secrets of the Plant World for educational use. [23] [501.492]
- (month unknown)
- Disney releases the 16-mm film Secrets of the Underwater World for educational use. [23] [501.492]
- September
- The ABC TV network moves the Walt Disney Presents TV show from Friday nights at 7:30 to Sunday nights at 6:30. [381.524] (from Wednesday night [56.76])
- October 1
- The Dixieland at Disneyland evening concert show is first held at Disneyland, at the Rivers of American in Fontierland. [756.42] [1300.145]
- October
- Walt Disney receives an honorary diploma from his high school in Marceline, Missouri, and dedicates an elementary school in his name. [56.55] [327.31]
- Disney makes a new television agreement with NBC, for 25 shows per year for three years, US$5 million per year. Show to be called Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color. [1102.570]
- October 16
- The ABC TV network airs the Walt Disney Presents TV show, entitled Rapids Ahead, showing portions of the films Ten Who Dared and Bear Country. [228.408] [370.395]
- October 18
- Buena Vista releases Disney's live-action feature film Ten Who Dared to theaters. The film is based on the journal of Major John Wesley Powell. [13] [23] [50.300] [370.174] [501.545] (November [111.399])
- October 30
- The ABC TV network airs the Walt Disney Presents TV show, featuring the Zorro episode El Bandido. [370.395] [384.142] [501.630]
- November 6
- The ABC TV network airs the Walt Disney Presents TV show, featuring the Zorro episode Adios El Cuchillo. [370.395] [384.142] [501.630]
- November 13
- The ABC TV network airs the Walt Disney Presents TV show, entitled Donald's Silver Anniversary. [228.148] [370.395]
- November
- The first annual Disney Christmas comic strip is published. [113.19]
- November 20
- The ABC TV network airs the Walt Disney Presents TV show, entitled Moochie of Pop Warner Football: The Pee Wees Versus City Hall. [228.339] [370.395]
- November 27
- The ABC TV network airs the Walt Disney Presents TV show, entitled Moochie of Pop Warner Football: From Ticonderoga to Disneyland. Walt Disney gives a cameo appearance in this show. [228.339] [370.395]
- December 4
- The ABC TV network airs the Walt Disney Presents TV show, featuring first "Daniel Boone" episode, The Warrior's Path. [370.395] [1378.170]
- December 11
- The ABC TV network airs the Walt Disney Presents TV show, featuring the second "Daniel Boone" episode, And Chase the Buffalo. [370.395] [1378.170]
- December
- The Skull Rock and Pirate's Cove are completed around the Pirate Ship Restaurant in Fantasyland at Disneyland. [9] [939.90] [1300.374]
- December 18
- The Christmas in Many Lands parade begins this season's performances at Disneyland. [421.42]
- The ABC TV network airs the Walt Disney Presents TV show, entitled Escape to Paradise, showing portions of the films Swiss Family Robinson and Water Birds. [228.168] [370.395]
- December 21
- Disney releases the live-action featurette film The Horse with the Flying Tail to theaters. [23] [85.349] [228.241] (1961 [43.490])
- December 23
- Buena Vista releases Disney's live-action feature film Swiss Family Robinson to theaters. It cost US$4-5 million to make. The film is based on the novel by Johann Wyss. [5] [6] [7] [13] [49.268] [79.176] [111.398] (December 10 [370.176]) (December 21 [501.534]) (December 24 [23]) (1961 [4])
|