Claim: Walt Disney was a heavy smoker throughout his life.

Walter Elias Disney -LRB- -LSB- ˈdɪzni -RSB- December 5 , 1901December 15 , 1966 -RRB- was an American entrepreneur , animator , voice actor and film producer . A pioneer of the American animation industry , he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons . As a film producer , Disney holds the record for most Academy Awards earned by an individual , having won 22 Oscars from 59 nominations . He was presented with two Golden Globe Special Achievement Awards and an Emmy Award , among other honors . Several of his films are included in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress .   Born in Chicago in 1901 , Disney developed an early interest in drawing . He took art classes as a boy and got a job as a commercial illustrator at the age of 18 . He moved to California in the early 1920s and set up the Disney Brothers Studio with his brother Roy . With Ub Iwerks , Walt developed the character Mickey Mouse in 1928 , his first highly popular success ; he also provided the voice for his creation in the early years . As the studio grew , Disney became more adventurous , introducing synchronized sound , full-color three-strip Technicolor , feature-length cartoons and technical developments in cameras . The results , seen in features such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs -LRB- 1937 -RRB- , Fantasia , Pinocchio -LRB- both 1940 -RRB- , Dumbo -LRB- 1941 -RRB- and Bambi -LRB- 1942 -RRB- , furthered the development of animated film . New animated and live-action films followed after World War II , including the critically successful Cinderella -LRB- 1950 -RRB- and Mary Poppins -LRB- 1964 -RRB- , the latter of which received five Academy Awards .   In the 1950s , Disney expanded into the amusement park industry , and in 1955 he opened Disneyland . To fund the project he diversified into television programs , such as Walt Disney 's Disneyland and The Mickey Mouse Club ; he was also involved in planning the 1959 Moscow Fair , the 1960 Winter Olympics , and the 1964 New York World 's Fair . In 1965 , he began development of another theme park , Disney World , the heart of which was to be a new type of city , the `` Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow '' -LRB- EPCOT -RRB- . Disney was a heavy smoker throughout his life , and died of lung cancer in December 1966 before either the park or the EPCOT project were completed .   Disney was a shy , self-deprecating and insecure man in private , but adopted a warm and outgoing public persona . He had high standards and high expectations of those with whom he worked . Although there have been accusations that he was racist or anti-semitic , they have been contradicted by family members , employees and animation historians . His reputation changed in the years after his death , from a purveyor of homely patriotic values -LRB- in the right -RRB- to a representative of American imperialism -LRB- in the left -RRB- . Nevertheless , Disney is considered a cultural icon , particularly in the United States , where the company he co-founded is one of the world 's largest and best-known entertainment companies .