The Walt Disney Company was founded in 1923.
The business began on October 16, 1923, when brothers Walt Disney and Roy O. Disney established Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio in Los Angeles. The new studio was created to produce the Alice Comedies, which combined live-action performances by Virginia Davis with animated characters.
The company did not start as the giant entertainment conglomerate known today. It changed names several times, becoming Walt Disney Studio in 1926 and Walt Disney Productions in 1929. Its animation business grew through innovations such as synchronized sound, color, and feature-length cartoons, including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937.
A common mix-up is confusing the company's founding year with later milestones: Mickey Mouse became a major breakthrough in 1928, Disneyland opened in 1955, and the corporate name changed to The Walt Disney Company in 1986. The founding date, however, remains 1923.