When was Mickey Mouse created and is he as old as Disney?

The Walt Disney Company is celebrating a moment a century in the making, and amid that celebration, there’s a story that anchors the belief in magic in the hearts of all of us and a character who brings a smile to the face of everyone he greets.

Aside from Walt Disney himself, no one is more Disney than Mickey Mouse — and as we honor 100 years of the Walt Disney Company, we have to give thanks to the character who made it all possible, the one who urges fans both young and old to dream big, laugh often, and never forget that magic exists if you’re brave enough to find it. While the company is turning 100, many are asking questions about the age of our beloved mouse.

In an open letter titled “What Mickey Means to Me,” Walt says that, in the journey of creating Mickey Mouse, the character seemingly jumped out of his brain and onto a piece of paper in front of him.

“He 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.”

Mickey walked with Walt into a realm of imagination, possibility, and life-changing creativity, and he’s crafted a place for dreamers everywhere to build a place in their hearts for a bit of their childhood to live forever. So, just how old is Mickey Mouse, and why is there some confusion here? Let’s take a look.

How old is Mickey Mouse?

This question is a loaded one because it truly depends on who you ask, and that idea in and of itself might lead you to scratch your head because the one man we should be listening to best is Walt himself, right? We think so, and if you’re a bit confused as to why this one is actually quite layered, we’ll explain it all for you below.

Walt Disney confirmed that Mickey’s birthday was on Oct. 1, 1928:

“Mickey Mouse will be five years old on Sunday. He was born on October 1, 1928. That was the date on which his first picture was started, so we have allowed him to claim this day as his birthday.”

Of course, the rest of his statement lends to the reason behind the confusion regarding his “official” date of creation. The general public didn’t meet Mickey Mouse until several weeks later with the debut of Steamboat Willie on Nov. 18, 1928. Of course, Mickey’s first public appearance feels like the best place to honor the celebration of his “birth” for fans, but the date of Oct. 1, 1928 was special to Walt, and don’t we all wish we could have two birthdays a year? In terms of celebration, of course, not rapid aging.

So, as you celebrate 100 years of the Walt Disney Company throughout the day, don’t forget that next month, there’s another special birthday to honor, that of our favorite mouse, the one who started it all — Mickey Mouse.

“I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing – that it all started with a mouse.”