Chronology of the Walt Disney Company

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References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2023 December 20.


1979

January
  • Buena Vista releases the American Film Consortium live-action feature film Take Down in theaters in the US. The film was not made by Disney, but picked up for distribution by Buena Vista. The film is rated "PG", the first such film for the Disney company. [23] [70.9] [370.315] [501.537]
January 7
  • The NBC TV network airs The Wonderful World of Disney show, featuring Donovan's Kid, part one. [228.149]
January 14
  • The NBC TV network airs The Wonderful World of Disney show, featuring Donovan's Kid, part two. [228.149]
January 28
  • The NBC TV network airs The Wonderful World of Disney show, featuring Shadow of Fear, part one. [501.493]
February 4
  • The NBC TV network airs The Wonderful World of Disney show, featuring Shadow of Fear, part two. [501.493]
February 9
  • Buena Vista releases the live-action feature film The North Avenue Irregulars to theaters in the US. [23] [70.13] [228.361] [370.315]
March 18
  • The NBC TV network airs The Wonderful World of Disney show, featuring the film The Omega Connection. [228.369]
March 25
  • The NBC TV network airs The Wonderful World of Disney show, featuring Born to Run, part one. [1378.91]
April 1
  • The NBC TV network airs The Wonderful World of Disney show, featuring Born to Run, part two. [1378.91]
April
  • Disney signs a 45-year contract with the Oriental Land Company, for Tokyo Disneyland. [1] [55.37] [238.263]
May 13
  • The NBC TV network airs The Wonderful World of Disney show, entitled The Sky Trap. [501.504]
May
  • Groundbreaking begins for EPCOT Center in Walt Disney World. [22]
June 7
  • Disney releases the live-action short film Footloose Fox to theaters. [23] [85.325] [228.190]
June 27
  • Buena Vista releases the live-action feature film The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again to theaters. The film is a sequel to the 1975 film The Apple Dumpling Gang. [23] [370.315] [1378.38]
(month unknown)
  • Disney sells the Celebrity Sports Center, in Denver, Colorado. The sports facility had been used for training new employees for Walt Disney World. [228.85]
  • Buena Vista releases a shortened version of the film Bedknobs and Broomsticks to theaters. [23] [370.311] [1378.67]

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  • Film box office market share for the Disney studio drops to four percent, the lowest of the seven major studios. Film profits of US$40.3 million for the year are the lowest in a decade. [1]
  • Sherrill Anne Hoffman, riding the Space Mountain attraction at Disneyland, becomes ill, almost unconscious. Taken to a hospital, she falls into a coma and dies a week later. Doctors discover she had a heart tumor which was likely dislodged by the ride, travelled to her brain, and killed her. [450.175]
  • Bradley introduces the "Disco Mickey" watch package, including a 45 rpm recording of "Disco Mouse" by the Mousketeers. [230.66]
  • Walt Disney Productions licenses the Intergovernmental Philatelic Corporation of New York to produce an extensive range of Disney character stamps for various countries. [96.89] [228.256] [501.521]
  • Disney releases the animated film compilation Donald Duck's Carnival of Laughs to theaters in Denmark. [23]
  • Disney re-releases the film Sleeping Beauty to theaters. [25] [501.505]
  • Disney re-releases the animated film One Hundred and One Dalmatians to theaters. [25] [56.239] [228.372]
  • Disney re-releases the film The Love Bug to theaters in the US. [228.296]
  • The French Olympic team removes Goofy as their team mascot. [1175.13]
  • Twelve Disneyana collectors form The Mouse Club. [1230.30]
July 4
  • The first baby is born at Disneyland, Teresa Salcedo, born to Rosa and Elias Salcedo of Los Angeles. [757.40] [1300.64] [1378.78]
July 10
  • Disney releases the live-action feature film The Spaceman and King Arthur in England. The film is based on Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. [501.581]
July 26
  • Buena Vista releases the live-action feature film Unidentified Flying Oddball to theaters in the US. The film was released in Europe as The Spaceman and King Arthur. [23] [70.207] [370.315] [501.581]
September 2
  • The Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ride opens in Frontierland at Disneyland. It cost US$15.8 million to build. [4] [9] [26.27] [328.288] [757.40] [1300.74] [1378.78] (September 15 [939.68])
  • The NBC TV network airs the last episode of The Wonderful World of Disney. [501.618]
September 9
  • The NBC TV network begins airing the TV show Disney's Wonderful World. Former name for the show was The Wonderful World of Disney. [58.45] [59.165] [83.698] [84.899] [228.141]
September 13
  • Three leading animators (including Don Bluth) leave Walt Disney Productions. [23] [14] [56.98] [108.22] [255.S2.13] [370.275] [1378.86]
September 14
  • Eleven more animators leave Disney. The group forms the new studio of Sullivan and Bluth. [23] [14] [439.35] (total of 7 animators and 4 assistants [85.275]) (16 resign after Bluth leaves [34.272]) (form Don Bluth Productions [85.275])
September
  • Walt Disney Productions Japan is formed. [55.37]
  • Disney releases the live-action 16-mm film The Restless Sea for educational use. [23] [501.467]
  • Disney releases the animated and live-action 16-mm film Understanding Alcohol Use and Abuse for educational use. [23] [501.580]
  • Disney releases the live-action film The Truly Exceptional: Carol Johnson. [23] [501.573]
  • Disney releases the live-action film The Truly Exceptional: Dan Haley. [23] [501.573]
  • Disney releases the live-action film The Truly Exceptional: Tom and Virl Osmond. [23] [501.573]
  • Disney releases the 16-mm film The National Student Fire Safety Test for educational use. [23] [228.351]
  • Disney releases the 16-mm film The National Student First Aid Test for educational use. [23] [228.351]
  • Disney releases the 16-mm film The National Student Recreation Safety Test for educational use. [23] [228.351]
  • Disney releases the 16-mm film The National Student School Safety Test for educational use. [23] [228.351]
  • Disney releases the 16-mm film The National Student Traffic Safety Test for educational use. [23] [228.351]
  • Disney releases the live-action 16-mm film Incident At Hawk's Hill for educational use. The film was part of The Boy Who Talked to Badgers. [23] [228.253]
October 14
  • The NBC TV network airs the Disney's Wonderful World show, entitled Baseball Fever. It is a collection of Disney cartoons about baseball. [1378.60]
October
  • In New York City, a stage show of Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs opens at Radio City Music Hall. [395.85] [501.509]
October 22
  • Walt Disney World welcomes its 100-millionth guest, Kurt Miller. [225.41] [501.596] [1073.115] (October 29 [5])
November 2
  • Turks and Caicos Islands issues ten postage stamps with various Disney characters, marking the International Year of the Child. [617.640]
  • Dominica issues ten postage stamps with various Disney characters, marking the International Year of the Child. [648.748]
  • Grenada issues ten postage stamps with various Disney characters playing sports, marking the International Year of the Child. [653.415]
November
  • The TV special Black Holes: Monsters that Eat Space and Time airs. It includes footage from the film The Black Hole. [1378.82]
December 12
  • Grenada Grenadines issues ten postage stamps depicting various Disney characters, marking the International Year of the Child. [653.452]
December
  • Maldives issues ten postage stamps depicting various Disney characters in postal scenes. [655.579]
  • Disney releases the animated film Cosmic Capers to theaters in England. It is edited from the film Mars and Beyond. [23] [1378.155]
December 16
  • The TV show Major Effects airs. [228.307]
December 18
  • Buena Vista premieres the film The Black Hole in London, England. [1378.82]
December 21
  • Buena Vista releases the live-action feature film The Black Hole to theaters in the US. It is the first Disney-created film to be given a PG rating. The original title was Space Probe One. It cost US$20 million to make. [11] [14] [23] [70.92] [370.315] [438.60] (December 20 [232.92] [250.96] [1378.82])
  • Disney releases the live-action feature film The London Connection to theaters in England. The film was previously released in the US under the title The Omega Connection. [23] [228.295]
Year
  • Of the seven major Hollywood film studios, Disney film revenues gives it four percent market share. [1073.131]

End of 1979. Next: 1980.

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1919-1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933
1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943
1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953
1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963
1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973
1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983
1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993
1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
2004 2005 2006 2007-2008 2009 2010-2011 2012-end


A list of references to all source material is available.


Last updated: 2023 December 20.
Copyright © 1995-2024 Ken Polsson (email: ken@kpolsson.com).
URL: http://kpolsson.com/disnehis/
Link to Ken P's home page.

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