Events in 1966 in animation.
Events
January January 1: Robert McKimson's Speedy Gonzales and Daffy Duck cartoon The Astroduck premieres, produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises.Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pg. 138. . Retrieved June 6, 2020. January 8: Rudy Larriva's Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner cartoon Shot and Bothered premieres, produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises.Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pg. 129. . Retrieved 6 June 2020 – via Archive.org. January 3: The first episode of Camberwick Green is broadcast. January 15: Chuck Jones' Tom and Jerry cartoon Duel Personality premieres. January 29: Rudy Larriva's Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner cartoon Out and Out Rout premieres, produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises.
February February 4: Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree, produced by the Walt Disney Company, is first released. This marks the debut of A.A. Milne's literary character Winnie-the-Pooh as an animated franchise. February 5: Robert McKimson's Speedy Gonzales and Daffy Duck cartoon Mucho Locos premieres, produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises.Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pg. 137. . Retrieved June 6, 2020. February 17: Chuck Jones' Tom and Jerry cartoon Jerry, Jerry, Quite Contrary premieres. February 19: Rudy Larriva's Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner cartoon The Solid Tin Coyote premieres, produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises. February 26: Robert McKimson's Speedy Gonzales and Daffy Duck cartoon Mexican Mousepiece premieres, produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises.
March
March 3: Abe Levitow's Tom and Jerry cartoon Jerry-Go-Round premieres, was produced by Chuck Jones. March 12: Rudy Larriva's Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner cartoon Clippety Clobbered premieres, produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises. March 26: Robert McKimson's Speedy Gonzales and Daffy Duck cartoon Daffy Rents premieres, produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises.
April April 1: The final episode of Hanna-Barbera's The Flintstones is broadcast, making it the longest-running primetime animated TV series until The Simpsons broke its record in 1997. April 16: Robert McKimson's cartoon A-Haunting We Will Go; starring Speedy Gonzales, Daffy Duck, & Witch Hazel, premieres. Was produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises. This was Hazel's final appearance in the Golden Age of Animation. April 18: 38th Academy Awards: Chuck Jones' The Dot and the Line wins the Academy Award for Best Animated Short. April 21: The first episode of Batfink is broadcast. April 28: Chuck Jones and Ben Washam's Tom and Jerry cartoon Love Me, Love My Mouse premieres.
May
May 5: Abe Levitow's Tom and Jerry cartoon Puss 'n' Boats premieres, was produced by Chuck Jones. May 21: Robert McKimson's Speedy Gonzales and Daffy Duck cartoon Snow Excuse premieres, produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises.Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. pg. 72. . Retrieved June 6, 2020.
June
June 8: The second Peanuts TV special Charlie Brown's All Stars! premieres on CBS. June 30: Abe Levitow's Tom and Jerry cartoon Filet Meow premieres, was produced by Chuck Jones.
July
July 14: The Tom and Jerry cartoon Matinee Mouse, directed by Tom Ray & produced by Chuck Jones, premieres. The short features footage from William Hanna & Joseph Barbera's following Tom and Jerry cartoons: The Flying Cat, Professor Tom, The Missing Mouse, Jerry and the Lion, Love That Pup, The Flying Sorceress, Jerry's Diary, & The Truce Hurts. July 19: Robert McKimson's Speedy Gonzales and Daffy Duck cartoon A Squeak in the Deep premieres, produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises.
August August 3: The film The Man Called Flintstone is first released, a feature film adaptation of The Flintstones. August 4: Abe Levitow's Tom and Jerry cartoon The A-Tom-inable Snowman premieres, was produced by Chuck Jones. August 20: Robert McKimson's Speedy Gonzales and Daffy Duck cartoon Feather Finger premieres, produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises.
September September 8: Abe Levitow's Tom and Jerry cartoon Catty-Cornered premieres, was produced by Chuck Jones. September 10: The first episode of Laurel and Hardy is broadcast, based on the comedy duo Laurel and Hardy. The first episode of Space Ghost, produced by Hanna-Barbera, is broadcast. The first episode of The New Adventures of Superman is broadcast. The Road Runner Show premieres on CBS.McNeil, Alex (1991). Total Television: A Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present. Penguin Books. p. 639. . Retrieved January 15, 2020. September 17: Robert McKimson's Speedy Gonzales and Daffy Duck cartoon Swing Ding Amigo premieres, produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises.
October October 9: The first episode of Rocket Robin Hood is broadcast. October 27: It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown premieres on CBS. October 29: The first episode of The Mighty Heroes is broadcast.
November
November 5: The Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner cartoon Sugar and Spies premieres, it marks the final appearance of Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner in the Golden Age of American Animation.
December December 3: Robert McKimson's Speedy Gonzales and Daffy Duck cartoon A Taste of Catnip premieres, produced by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises. Sylvester makes a cameo in this short, His final appearance in the golden age of animation. December 5: The first episode of Sally the Witch is broadcast. December 15: Walt Disney dies while producing The Jungle Book, the last animated feature made under his personal supervision. December 17: The Underdog episodes "A New Villain, Parts 3 and 4" air, which mark two of the proclaimed episodes where Underdog dies and resurrects. December 18: Chuck Jones' How the Grinch Stole Christmas, an animated Christmas TV special, premieres and will become a holiday classic. It is an adaptation of Dr. Seuss' eponymous children's novel .
Specific date unknown Karel Zeman's The Stolen Airship premieres.
Films released
January 1 - Go There, Don't Know Where (Soviet Union) February 5 - Alice of Wonderland in Paris (United States and Czechoslovakia) March 30 - Alice in Wonderland or What's a Nice Kid Like You Doing in a Place Like This? (United States) June 1 - The Daydreamer (United States and Japan) July 21 - Cyborg 009 (Japan) July 31 - Jungle Emperor Leo (Japan) August 3 - The Man Called Flintstone (United States) November 24 - The Ballad of Smokey the Bear (United States and Japan) December 16 - The Dream Wizard (Spain) December 18 - How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (United States) December 23 - Filippo the Cat: License to Record (Italy) December 31 - King of the World: The King Kong Show (Japan)
Television series
January 3 - Camberwick Green debuts on BBC1. February 5 - Osomatsu-kun debuts on MBS. March 7 - Marude Dameo debuts on Nippon TV. April 21 - Batfink debuts on KTLA and in syndication. May 2 - Kaizoku Ôji debuts on TV Asahi. May 5 - Harris no Kaze debuts on Fuji TV. June 3 - Yûsei Kamen debuts on Fuji TV. July 1 - Monoshiri Daigaku Ashita No Calendar debuts on Fuji TV. September 1 - The Marvel Super Heroes debuts in syndication. September 10: The Road Runner Show and The Beagles debut on CBS and ABC. Frankenstein Jr. and the Impossibles, The Lone Ranger, The New Adventures of Superman, Go Go Gophers, Space Ghost, and Superboy debut on CBS. Cool McCool, Laurel and Hardy, Space Kidettes, and The Super 6 debut on NBC. The King Kong Show debuts on ABC and NET (now TV Asahi). October 1 - Robotan debuts on Fuji TV. October 5 - Leo the Lion debuts on Fuji TV. October 6 - Ganbare! Marine Kid debuts on TBS. October 9 - Rocket Robin Hood debuts on CBC. October 29: Bamse debuts on SVT. Mighty Heroes debuts on CBS. November 14 - Tobidase! Bacchiri debuts on Nippon TV. December 5 - Sally the Witch debuts on TV Asahi. Specific date unknown: Arthur! And the Square Knights of the Round Table debuts on ABC. Klondike Kat debuts on CBS.
Births
January January 5: Yuri Amano, Japanese actress (voice of Kiyone Makibi in the Tenchi Muyo! franchise, Asako Nakamura in Ushio and Tora, Keiko Yukimura in YuYu Hakusho, Alcyone in Magic Knight Rayearth, Lorelei in Saber Marionette J). January 6: Danik Thomas, American film editor (Futurama, Kid Notorious, Curious George, Barnyard, Shrek Forever After, Smurfs: The Lost Village) and production assistant (Universal Cartoon Studios). January 13: Patrick Dempsey, American actor (voice of Kenai in Brother Bear 2, The Plant in The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! episode "Super Plant"). January 14: Dan Schneider, American television producer, screenwriter and actor (creator of The Adventures of Kid Danger). January 18: Stephen DeStefano, American comic book artist, animator (Runaway Brain, Kid Cosmic, Hotel Transylvania: Transformania), storyboard artist (Universal Cartoon Studios, Nickelodeon Animation Studio, Warner Bros. Animation, Courage the Cowardly Dog, Cartoon Network Studios, Poochini, The Venture Bros., Minoriteam, Drawn Together, Futurama, Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil, The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, DreamWorks Dragons), character designer (Beethoven, The Venture Bros., Cartoon Network Studios, Mickey Mouse, Hotel Transylvania 2, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Mighty Ones, Looney Tunes Cartoons, Kid Cosmic, DC Super Hero Girls), background artist (The Ren & Stimpy Show, Superman: The Animated Series), art director (The Venture Bros.) and writer (The Ren & Stimpy Show, The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat, The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Batman: The Brave and the Bold). Stevie Wermers, American story artist and director (Walt Disney Animation Studios). January 20: Rainn Wilson, American actor, comedian, producer, and writer (voice of Gallaxhar in Monsters vs. Aliens, Lex Luthor in the DC Animated Movie Universe, Gargamel in Smurfs: The Lost Village). January 29: Julie Ann Taylor, American voice actress (voice of Milly Ashford in Code Geass).
February February 1: Brett Varon, American animator, storyboard artist (The Itsy Bitsy Spider, Dexter's Laboratory, Oh Yeah! Cartoons, Dragon Tales, Baby Blues, Family Guy, Cartoon Network Studios, Looney Tunes, Disney Television Animation, Brickleberry, Bravest Warriors), character designer (Grim & Evil), director (The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat, Star vs. the Forces of Evil, Animaniacs) and producer (The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat, Cartoon Network Studios, Star vs. the Forces of Evil). February 4: Tim Cahill, American producer, writer, animator and cartoonist (Warner Bros. Animation, Littlest Pet Shop, co-creator of My Gym Partner's A Monkey). February 13: Neal McDonough, American actor (voice of Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk, Green Arrow in DC Showcase: Green Arrow, Deadshot in Batman: Assault on Arkham, Firebrand in the Iron Man episode "Fire and Rain", Dum Dum Dugan in the What If...? episode "What If...? Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?"). February 22: Rachel Dratch, American actress and comedian (voice of Negative Girl in Teen Titans Go!, Nora Fries and Hippolyta in Harley Quinn, Adrena Lynn in the Kim Possible episode "All the News", Actress Playing Aang in the Avatar: The Last Airbender episode "The Ember Island Players", Alison Heart in the Bubble Guppies episode "Alison in Wonderland!"). February 24: Billy Zane, American actor (voice of John Rolfe in Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World, Etrigan in The New Batman Adventures episode "The Demon Within"). February 25: Alexis Denisof, American actor (voice of Mirror Master in Justice League: Doom and the Justice League Unlimited episode "Flash and Substance", Nigel Taylor in Tarzan & Jane, Zander in the Batman Beyond episode "Curse of the Kobra"). February 27: