WASHINGTON: The world famous clothes-wearing-rodent, Mickey Mouse, has turned 80.

Mickey was first introduced to the world 80 years ago on the screens at the Colony Theater in New York in a clip titled “Steamboat Willie”.

Surprisingly, Mickey was created almost by accident. Walt Disney’s first cartoon was actually a rabbit named “Oswald”. But Walt Disney lost the rights to the rabbit in 1927 and returned to the drawing board where a mouse named “Mortimer” was born.

The name Mortimer was subsequently changed to Mickey as it was his wife’s preferred name for the rodent.

Although Mickey was born of the imagination of Walt Disney months before the movie debut, November 18 1928 is still recognised as Mickey’s official birthday.

The release of the seven minute cartoon marked an animation landmark.

Despite the flimsy, politically incorrect storyline and minimal dialogue between characters, the cartoon featured a synchronised sound track that includes Mickey whistling and blowing raspberries at the ship's captain, a large tobacco-chewing cat called “Captain Pete”.

According to the Disney website, Walt Disney’s intentions were to record the soundtrack for “Steamboat Willie” with big-name studios but ended up with the “Bootleg Powers Cinephone process” which turned out to be a disaster.

Walt Disney eventually recorded the soundtrack with a 15-piece band and his own “squeaks” for Mickey.

Despite all the setbacks, Mickey got his own cartoon strip drawn up by artist Ub Iwerks in January 1930.

He then made his way into the Sunday comics in January 1932, the same year which Walt Disney received a special Academy Award for creating the rodent.

Mickey has since gone on to star in 120 different cartoons and even got his own television show, “The Mickey Mouse Club” which was the starting point for stars like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake.

Despite Mickey’s “old age”, the friendly rodent has touched generations of children and is still very much alive in today’s entertainment world. And if you can't make it to Walt Disney World to meet Mickey and friends, catch him on his "Clubhouse" which airs on Playhouse Disney (StarHub Ch34).

- CNA/km