Walter Elias Disney, more well known by his shortened name of Walt Disney, was a giant in the world of film, television and other media for families and children. He brought one of the biggest media empires ever to life, but passed pretty early on in its legacy. Still, he did get to see the beginning of how big Disney would get, including seeing the opening of Disneyland.
While Walt Disney didn’t get to see the future with Disney Plus and other moves for the company, he lived during the meteoric rise of the company. This is because he was the cause of the rise, as he meticulously cared for the company until his death. But when and how did he pass?
When did Walt Disney pass away?
Walt Disney was born as Walter Elias Disney on December 5, 1901. He was the fourth of five children, and grew an appreciation for drawing and theatre throughout his childhood. He attended Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, and worked a military ambulance at the end of World War I. From there, Disney worked various jobs and eventually managed to find his way to the Disney company by 1928, the year Mickey Mouse was created. Disney continued to be a successful company until Walt’s death on December 15, 1966.
After Walt Disney’s death, there was a dip in the production of animated films, until the Disney renaissance of the 1980s and 1990s with films like The Little Mermaid. While several other executives have led the corporation since his passing, Disney continues to be regarded as the chief owner of the Walt Disney Company. His legacy continues to live on as one that is mostly positive, with relatively few posthumous controversies.
How did Walt Disney die?
Ever since his time serving in the military at the end of World War I, Walt Disney had been a consistent smoker of unfiltered cigarettes and pipe tobacco. After many years of being a heavy smoker (something he attempted to keep quiet as a way to protect the Disney public image), he was diagnosed with lung cancer in November 1966. By the end of the month, he was being cared for a in a hospital for his condition.
In a little over two weeks, on December 15, Walt Disney passed away from a fatal level of poor blood circulation to tissue and vital organs (medically known as circulatory collapse or shock). Disney died at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California. He passed at 65 years old, and left behind a wife and two daughters.