9th June: Donald Duck's birthday

It's Donald Duck's birthday. He's 81 today! Here are 10 things you might not know about Donald:

1. Donald's first appearance was in The Wise Little Hen, in 1934. The film's release date of June 9 is officially recognised by the Walt Disney Company as Donald's birthday.
2. There is a theory that Donald Duck was named after a cricketer. In 1932, Australian cricketer Donald Bradman was in the US on a cricket tour. When Bradman was dismissed for a duck against New York West Indians, it was big news, so it's possible Walt Disney came up with the name after reading about this incident.
3. Clarence Nash was the voice of Donald Duck until he died in 1985. The last film to feature his voice was Mickey's Christmas Carol in 1983. Donald was the only character in the film to be voiced by his original actor. Since 1985, Donald has been voiced by Tony Anselmo, who was mentored by Clarence Nash. Anselmo's first film voicing Donald was Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
4. During World War II, Donald starred in a number of propaganda films such as The Fuherer's Face, which were banned in occupied Europe. The German nation seems to have forgiven him, though, as today, an average of 250,000 Donald Duck comics are sold there each week.
5. As a result of losing the European market, Disney concentrated on marketing Donald in South America. There were two feature-length animation films produced with a South American theme: Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros. In them, Donald made some new South American friends, Jose Carioca the parrot and Panchito the rooster.
6. Donald Duck goes by other names in some countries: Kalle Anka in Sweden, Anders And in Denmark, Andrés Önd in Iceland, Aku Ankka in Finland and Paolino Paperino in Italy.
7. The wartime Donald Duck cartoons inspired many examples of nose art on Allied Combat aircraft.
8. Donald Duck is mascot to the University of Oregon. In 1984, Donald Duck was named an honorary alumnus of the University of Oregon during his 50th birthday celebration. He's also a mascot of the US Coast Guard, dressed as a pirate. He is used in this way by special licence from Disney.
9. In 2005, Donald received his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
10. Asteroid 12410 was named after Donald Duck.