On this day in 1930 Walter E. Disney was granted the design patent for TOY OR SIMILAR ARTICLE. U.S. Patent No. Des. 82,802.
This toy or similar article is Mickey Mouse, one of the most popular cartoon characters Walt Disney created. The creation of Mickey came from a time of desperation for Disney and his brother Roy. Disney had just had their most profitable work stolen from them by Universal distributor Charles Mintz. Mintz took cartoon character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and Disney’s artists. In 1948 Disney penned an essay titled “What Mickey Means to Me.” In the essay Disney stated “[Mickey] popped out of my mind onto a drawing pad 20 years ago on a train ride from Manhattan to Hollywood at a time when the business fortunes of my brother Roy and myself were at lowest ebb, and disaster seemed right around the corner.”
Adults and children everywhere are glad Disney didn’t give up as Mickey is one of the most recognizable characters in the world.
