The Evolution of Mickey Mouse

It all started on November 18, 1928, when the history of Mickey Mouse began. It began when Walter Disney came up with his first character, a rabbit. He had long ears and a tail, and his name was Oswald. Oswald was not very popular, so Disney had to come up with something more exciting that every kid would like. One day when Walt Disney and his wife were coming back from a business trip, Lillian Disney thought of the name Mickey for the rabbit. Disney did not own Oswald, he was working in a company and was not getting any money for selling him. He was so mad that he decided to leave the company and think of his own character. She thought that he would be a great starting point for Walt Disney.

When Mickey first started out, he had bulky eyes and a long tail. Mickey’s arms and legs were as skinny as sticks, and his hands had no gloves on them. His body was shaped like a pear and was black. In the beginning, Mickey had red trousers, two large white buttons, and big shoes. They remained part of his character his entire life. Mickey’s tail was eventually dropped to save the cost of animation.

Mickey was not always as friendly as he is now. In fact, in “Steamboat Willie,” he was not nice at all. People complained that Mickey wasn’t very personable, so Disney changed him into a nicer character. He became the loveable character we know today.

*I didn't include all the Mickey Mouse shorts here, because theres too many of them.