Many may not know it, but today is the 8th birthday of Disneys Mickey Mouse. So in honor of our favorite black and white mouse in red shorts (which he’s been wearing for a really long time), we’ve compiled a short Mickey biography, so that everyone can remember how it all started with a mouse.

Mickey has come a long way since he was born in Walt Disney’s imagination. First appearing in Steamboat Willie, a short black-and-white animated musical on November 18th, 1928, Mickey’s debut was the first cartoon to feature synchronized music and sound effects. The lovable mouse was an instant hit, and Steamboat Willie was soon followed by two other cartoons. By the end of the year, Mickey was a national fad, and it wasn’t long before Walt Disney started up a line of Mickey merchandise and a fan club for children, the Mickey Mouse Club.

By 1937, Disney Studios was in full swing, producing about 12 shorts a year in which Mickey got into all kinds of mischief and fun. Walt Disney did Mickey’s voice himself and oversaw the production of 87 shorts starring the mouse by the end of the decade. As Mickey continued his rise to fame, the Mickey Mouse Club eventually got its own TV show, and soon enough, Disneyland was born. Mickey moved to the theme park as its main host, greeting visitors and shaking hands, and the success of the park led to the opening of Walt Disney World in 1971. Mickey also appeared in a kimono and beret, respectively, for the openings of Tokyo Disneyland in 1983 and Disneyland Resort Paris in 1992. And as they say, the rest is history.

Now, Mickey continues to be Disney’s most popular symbol and beloved symbol. Appearing everywhere from celebrity T-shirts to Playstation video games, Mickey Mouse doesn’t ever seem to go out of style. And although Walt Disney World isn’t holding any extravagant birthday parties for Mickey this year, there’s no better way to celebrate his birthday than by enjoying all the Mickey fun at Walt Disney World theme parks.

For one amusing activity, try to hunt down all the Hidden Mickeys. What’s a “Hidden Mickey,” you ask? It started out as an inside joke among the Walt Disney Imagineers – they concealed images of Mickey (typically the silhouette of his head and ears) in the design of Disney attractions such as rides and resorts. There’s one hidden in the alien symbols on The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter at Magic Kingdom, and there are Mickeys hidden on the manhole covers at Epcot. Though Disney has no official list of confirmed Hidden Mickeys, it’s exciting to visit the park and see how many you can spot. A literal and figurative symbol of his mark on Walt Disney World, Mickey is hidden everywhere!

As a nod to Disney’s house mouse, you can also visit Mickey’s Toontown Fair in Magic Kingdom. Originally opened on Mickey’s 60th birthday as a temporary attraction called Mickey’s Birthdayland, the area was so popular with park guests that it was made a permanent attraction. Over the years, it has evolved into the Toontown Fair we know and love today, and it’s a place where you’re guaranteed to see Mickey and all his friends. Be sure to get your discount Magic Kingdom tickets here at OrlandoFunTickets.com, so you can rush out to the parks and start having fun with Mickey.

And to the most influential mouse in the world, the one and only Mickey Mouse, we wish you Happy Birthday! May you continue to warm our hearts for 80 more years.