Did You Know: Five fun Mickey Mouse facts as the cartoon icon turns 90
As Walt Disney’s most iconic character, the eternally-youthful Mickey Mouse has enjoyed a long and storied history as one of the most well-loved characters in the entertainment company’s considerable back catalogue. We celebrate the world’s most famous cartoon figure’s 90th birthday with five fun Mickey Mouse facts that you probably never knew.
Who’s Mortimer Mouse ?
When Walt Disney first created the cartoon back in 1928, he originally wanted to dub him ‘Mortimer Mouse’. It was only the timely intervention of his wife, who claimed the name sounded too pompous and suggested the now-famous alternative.
Talking Out Loud
For the first eight films in the Mickey Mouse film series, the famous character is seen laughing, crying and whistling but never fully conversant. It wasn’t until 1929’s black-and-white animated short, The Karnival Kid, that Mickey finally found his voice. His first words? “Hot dogs!”
Walk of Fame First
In 1978, Mickey Mouse became the first-ever cartoon character to receive his very own star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. The occasion marked his 50th birthday, and he paved the way for others in his animated posse, including Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Bugs Bunny and Winnie the Pooh.
Cutting a Controversial Figure
While Mickey Mouse may be one of the world’s most well-loved characters, it seems he hasn’t always been as popular as most would assume. In fact, the child-friendly character has actually been banned in one country or another for decades, including Mussolini’s Italy and Nazi Germany in the ’30s, the 1988 Seoul Olympics and as recently as 2014 in Iran.
A Rose by Any Other Name
While the physical attributes of Mickey Mouse are recognisable all over the world, the same cannot be said about his name. The petit rodent actually has numerous aliases around the world, including Mi Lao Shu in Chinese, Topolino in Italian, El Raton Mickey in Spanish and Musse Pigg in Swedish.
