A real Mickey Mouse Microminiholidayette

No, seriously: Several of the Usual Suspects designate today as Mickey Mouse Day or Mickey Mouse's Birthday and, apparently, they're right. The very first Mickey Mouse cartoon, Steamboat Willie premiered on this date in 1928. (Wikipedia says Mickey was included in two shorts earlier in 1928, but neither found a distributor; therefore, even the Disney Empire considers this Mickey's birthday.)

An alternative for today is William Tell Day. It was on this day in 1307 -- 705 years ago -- that William Tell shot the apple off his son's head, an act that, according to legend, led (at least indirectly) to the founding of the Swiss Confederation -- today, the nation of Switzerland.

Today is also reckoned by some as Occult Day and National Vichyssoise Day. We don't know for certain what vichyssoise is, but our crack research staff assures us that it is not any sort of occult potion.

The touch-tone telephone was first introduced to the public on this day in 1963. This is important. Can you imagine your smartphone with a rotary dial?

------------------------------------------------------------
Mickey Mouse image obtained from Wikipedia