Donald Duck Turns 89!

Happy Birthday to Disney’s favorite babbling and mischievous mallard! Donald Duck turns 89 years old today. Donald made his first appearance on June 9, 1934 in the Silly Symphony short, The Wise Little Hen, which is available to stream on Disney Plus.

His raspy vocals were created by legendary voice actor, Clarence Nash, who also did the voices for Huey, Dewey, Louie and even Daisy. Donald eventually became a company staple by 1936 in such shorts like Moving Day and Orphans’ Picnic. As his popularity grew, so did his look. His eyes grew larger and more expressive and his duck bill was shortened and more malleable.

The Fab Fiver received his first solo short, Don Donald, in 1937 and his legacy was cemented at Walt Disney Animation. Even though his lack of enthusiasm for responsibility and irreverent behavior were his hallmark qualities, he was most endearing and hilarious when he went through a series of misfortunate events. Some classic features were Donald and Pluto, The Dognapper, and Mickey’s Polo Team.

His popularity reached a new generation with his appearance in The Three Caballeros movie in 1945. The film was divided into seven parts, all of which focused around the theme of Donald’s birthday. Three gifts are given to him over the course of the story where he befriends his two new companions, Jose and Panchito. This trio have remained fan-favorites with multiple iterations such as the Disney XD series, The Legend of the Three Caballeros (2018).

For many fans, they cannot see Donald Duck without his three precocious nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie. Both the original (1987) and newest reinvention (2017) of Ducktales chronicled the adventures of the four ducks as they solved mysteries and rewrote histories. The success of both shows used the indignity of Donald’s hilarious setbacks to be the comedic mainstay that still remains hilarious 89 years later. Donald’s legacy will be forever tied to the Walt Disney Company and as long as he continues to adorably lose his temper and survive the odds, he will continue to have a devoted fanbase.