March 11: Masami Hata's Chirin no Suzu (Ringing Bell) premieres, the first animated feature produced by Sanrio to be aimed more at young adults, and featuring a remarkable tone shift in the second half of the film.[2][3]
November 13: To celebrate the character's 50th anniversary, Mickey Mouse receives a star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He is the first animated character and general fictional character to receive this honor.[20]
January 9: AJ McLean, American musician and member of the Backstreet Boys (voice of Kuchimba in The Lion Guard episode "The Underground Adventure", himself in the Arthur episode "Arthur, It's Only Rock and Roll" and the Static Shock episode "Duped").