On November 18, 1928 at Universal’s Colony Theater in New York City, Mickey Mouse made his grand debut in Steamboat Willie. The cartoon was an instant sensation as the very first sound cartoon ever produced.
While it was the first Mickey Mouse cartoon released, it was actually the third Mickey Mouse cartoon produced. After the release of the first sound feature The Jazz Singer, Walt Disney put the other two shorts on hold so that Mickey Mouse would be introduced to the world with a soundtrack.
Walt Disney created Mickey Mouse as a way to recover from the loss of his previous character Oswald. Mickey Mouse would succeed beyond even Walt Disney’s wildest dreams.
