Whether you loved to pretend to be a Disney princess or you watched the original Mickey Mouse animated shorts, nearly every American child grew up with a love for the master of animation2014Walt Disney. Walt (he hated when people called him Mr. Disney) was a man ahead of his time who is still a larger-than-life name.

An artist, producer, entrepreneur, and visionary, he pushed the limits of animation and fantasy but it wasn't easy. From the business setback that inspired him to create his most famous character to his dark connection to the U.S. government, check out these facts about the one and only Walt Disney.

His final words will make you question what was going through his mind.

He Started Drawing Out Of Boredom

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A young Walt Disney spent most of his early years wasting away time on his family's farm in Marceline, Missouri. It was there that an aunt and elderly neighbor encouraged him to try passing the long, boring hours by trying to draw.

Walt remembered trying to fit as many drawing and cartoons onto a single page of paper as possible. One of his first cartoons was of his neighbor's horses.