Today, November 18th, 2009, is Mickey Mouse’s 81st birthday, so be sure to enjoy a nice slice of mouse ear cake or take a ride over to the Magic Kingdom and wish him well. You have to admit, the old mouse looks pretty good for his age, and he’s come along way since his old black-and-white cartoon days.

But how did he get his birthday? Well, today marks the 81st anniversary of his famous cartoon ‘Steamboat Willie, though it’s worth noting that this was NOT Mickey’s first appearance. The iconic mouse appeared in two cartoons prior to that, the first being ‘Plane Crazy’ (which debuted about six months prior to ‘Steamboat Willie), which marked Minnie’s first appearance as well.

Still, it can be argued that ‘Steamboat Willie’ is the first true Mickey Mouse classic, and remains one of his best loved cartoons, introducing generations of fans to a big-eyed, whistling rodent who would ultimately become the most famous and celebrated cartoon character of all time.

Happy birthday, Mickey.

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