Marceline, Missouri
On December 5, 1901, Walter Elias Disney was born to Elias and Flora Disney in Chicago, Illinois. Walt had four siblings: Herbert, Ray, Roy, and Ruth. The family lived in Chicago until 1906, when Elias and Ruth grew tired of the city and moved to a farm in Marceline, Missouri. It was there that Walt discovered his love for art and animation. He indulged his imagination and began sketching and painting cartoons at age seven. He attended Park Elementary School and even convinced his sister Ruth to help him decorate the side of their home with tar. Although the family only lived in Marceline for two years, the carefree country lifestyle they adopted influenced Walt significantly and eventually helped him start a career that would change the world of animations forever.
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Kansas City, Missouri
The Disneys moved to Kansas City in 1910, where Walt and Roy helped their father deliver newspapers for the Kansas City Star. Walt attended Benton Grammar School, as well as Saturday morning art classes at the Kansas City Art Institute. Walt refused to let his work responsibilities interfere with his drawings; his talents continued to develop and eventually flourished as he expanded his ingenuity. He began to entertain his classmates by imitating Charlie Chaplin films, telling gripping stories, and creating illustrations on the black-board. After elementary school, Walt moved back to Chicago with his parents and attended McKinley High. He never showed much interest in academics, so he busied himself with drawing courses, photography, and a position on the school newspaper.
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During the fall of 1918, Walt enlisted in the military but was rejected because he was only sixteen years old. Frustrated with where life was taking him, Walt joined the Red Cross with a forged birth certificate, as an overseas ambulance driver. For the following year, Walt chauffeured Red Cross officials through France in an ambulance adorned with Disney cartoons. After his European adventure, Walt returned to Kansas City where he decided to pursue a career in commercial art.
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