How old would Walt Disney be today?

Walt Disney is one of the most influential figures in modern culture as the co-founder and mastermind behind the Disney empire.

There is hardly a person on Earth who hasn’t heard of Mickey Mouse, the friendly cartoon animal with a funny voice created by Disney and Ub Iwerks in 1928, and voiced by the former for years. But Disney’s real revolution came with his eye for business. Not only did he help animation become what it is today, developing its technology and ambitions, but he also extended his empire to include amusement parks and laid the basis for what eventually became one of the biggest entertainment monopolies in the world.

When was Walt Disney born and how old would he be if he was alive today?

Walt Disney was born on Dec. 5, 1901, in Chicago, Illinois, to father Elias Disney and mother Flora. In 2023, the media magnate would be 122 years old. He was a passionate cartoonist and drawer as a child and a young adult, working in the business of advertising for a while.

Disney was the fourth of five children, and it was his older brother Roy who helped him found the Disney Brothers Studio, which later became The Walt Disney Company. Some of the company’s landmarks under Disney’s leadership include producing the first animated movie in full color and sound, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, in 1938.

How and when did Walt Disney die?

Contrary to what his legacy might indicate, Disney lived a rather short life, passing away on Dec. 15, 1966, 10 days after his 65th birthday, at St. Joseph Hospital in Burbank, California. The animator had been diagnosed with lung cancer a little over a month prior to his death, as a result of his heavy smoking habits ever since he was a teenager.

Disney married ink artist Lillian Bounds in 1925 with whom he had two daughters, Diane and Sharon. Diane became a prolific philanthropist and patron of the arts, while her younger sister followed in her dad’s entrepreneurial footsteps. They have both passed away. Walt Disney is survived by his grandchildren.