Walt Disney
Walt Disney transformed storytelling through animation. Born in 1901, he started with a mouse—Mickey, created in 1928—and built an empire. His first full-length animated film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), defied skeptics. Disney dreamed bigger, opening Disneyland in 1955, a “happiest place on Earth.” Known for his perfectionism and childlike wonder, he once said, “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” Though he died in 1966, his magic lives on in films, parks, and the joy of generations.