Walt Disney

Walt Disney founded the animation and entertainment empire which still bears his name. He began as a cartoonist in the 1920s, creating Mickey Mouse and eventually moving from short films into much-acclaimed animated features like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) and Bambi (1942). Later Disney expanded into live-action features like Treasure Island (1951) and then into television -- the family-friendly variety program The Wonderful World of Disney was a prime-time staple from 1954-83. During Disney's life his studios won 48 Academy Awards. In 1955 Disney opened a theme park, Disneyland, in Anaheim, California; it was an immediate hit and became the public flagship of the Disney empire. Other Disney theme parks have since opened in Florida, Tokyo, France and Hong Kong. The Disney empire also grew to include Disney Radio and TV's The Disney Channel, which launched the careers of teen stars like Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers.

Extra credit: Disney holds the record for career Academy Award nominations, with 64... Despite persistent public rumor, Disney was not cryogenically frozen or buried under Disneyland after his death; he was cremated and buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California... Michael Eisner was hired in 1984 to run the Disney empire and is often credited with the company's resurgence; Eisner stepped down from the job in 2005... Characters animated by Disney include Winnie the Pooh, Ariel the mermaid, Pinocchio the wooden boy, and Princess Jasmine.