Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness throughout the world.

Donald Duck Day

Hartson Dowd

When : Always June 9th

Happy Birthday, Donald. We hope that Daisy Duck bakes you your favorite cake!

Donald Duck Day in honor of Donald Duck's cartoon debut. Donald first appeared in "The Wise Hen" on June 9, 1934.  While Donald is over 70 years old, he doesn't act a day over 20. Donald is one of Disney's most famous and popular characters.

Did you Know? Donald has a middle name. Donald F. Duck's middle name is "Fauntleroy".

Enjoy Donald Duck Day in front of the television watching Donald, along with all of his family and friends.

The Origin of Donald Duck Day:

We discovered why this day was created...... to honor Donald's cartoon debut on June 9, 1934. We do know know for sure "who" created it. We strongly suspect it was Daisy Duck.

Donald Duck made his debut in the Silly Symphony cartoon "The Wise Little Hen" on June 9, 1934. His fiery temper endeared him to audiences, and in the 1940s he surpassed Mickey Mouse in the number of cartoons reaching the theaters. Eventually, there were 128 Donald Duck cartoons, but he also appeared in a number of others with Mickey Mouse, Goofy, and Pluto. His middle name, shown in a wartime cartoon, is Fauntleroy. The original voice of Donald was Clarence "Ducky" Nash, who was succeeded after 50 years by Disney artist Tony Anselmo. A daily Donald Duck newspaper comic strip began on February 7, 1938.

Donald Duck has a good heart and always has good intentions. Well, almost always. Actually, it's his second or third intentions that are the good ones, but by the time they surface Donald's already off and running in the wrong direction. He refuses to let anyone or anything stand in his way. It doesn't matter how much humiliation the world dishes out to him, Donald will take it and come back for more. He's a loser, not a quitter, and he'll go down fighting. This is a duck with one short fuse, and an amazing (if unintelligible) command of language, and when things don't go right, he goes ballistic. Yet after the storm is over and the tantrum is through, when faithful Daisy soothes his brow or his conscience finally catches up with him, even Donald can admit that there must be a better way. If only he could figure out what it is.

Hot-headed Donald is a little man in a big world that's trying to keep him down. Call it fate, or call it lack of self-control, nothing goes right for this duck: even his best intentions often go awry. Of course, by the time his best intentions surface he's probably already chasing after less noble pursuits. As stubborn as he is temperamental, he won't give in, even when he's up to his beak in trouble. Then watch out. Like a lot of people with a temper problem, he's blind to his own faults but quick to see them in others. He can't understand why life seems so much easier for pals Mickey and easy-going Goofy. It's not fair. Still, Donald will keep struggling to get what he deserves in the world. Favorite sayings: "Oh, yeah?" "Hiya, toots!" "Aw, phooey!" "Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!" "Nothin' to it!"

Hartson Dowd

hsdowd@telus.net