First Cartoon in World History: 117TH Anniversary with Fascinating Facts You Didn’t Know

When we think of childhood, the first thing that comes to mind is often cartoons from Mickey Mouse to Tom & Jerry, from Chhota Bheem to Pokémon. But have you ever wondered: What was the first cartoon ever made? Who made it? When was it released?

Yes, back in 1908, a French artist named Émile Cohl created Fantasmagorie, which is officially recognized as the first-ever animated cartoon film. And in 2025, we’re celebrating its 117th anniversary a milestone that reminds us how a simple stick figure started an entertainment revolution.

But the story of cartoons is far richer than just one short film. Let’s take a journey through time to answer every possible question about the first cartoon in world history.

In August 1908, Émile Cohl, a French cartoonist, released Fantasmagorie. At just 1 minute and 20 seconds long, it might seem tiny compared to today’s animated blockbusters, but this short film changed history forever.

The film featured a stick-figure character who walked around, transformed into objects, encountered animals, and entered surreal scenes. It was almost like watching someone’s dream come alive on screen.

To make it, Cohl had to hand-draw over 700 individual images, photographing each one frame by frame. Imagine the patience and passion needed to do that at a time when there were no computers, no digital tools, just paper, ink, and imagination.

That’s why Émile Cohl is often called the “Father of the Animated Cartoon.”

Key takeaways:

• It was a 1 minute 20 seconds long short film.
• Made with 700 hand-drawn images, each captured on film.
• The animation featured a stick figure who morphed into different shapes and objects.

Fact: This film is considered the birth of traditional animation and is still preserved as a cultural treasure.

Technically, the nameless stick figure in Fantasmagorie holds the title of the first cartoon character ever created.

But the first global cartoon superstar was Felix the Cat, introduced in 1919. With his mischievous smile and magical adventures, Felix became an international icon even before Mickey Mouse arrived on the scene.

When we talk about Disney, most people instantly think of Mickey Mouse first. But that’s not true!

In 1927, Walt Disney and animator Ub Iwerks created Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. But after losing the rights to Oswald, Disney had to come up with a new character. This inspired Walt to create a new character Mickey Mouse who debuted in Steamboat Willie (1928). That short film became a sensation and forever changed the history of cartoons. That’s when Mickey Mouse was born in Steamboat Willie (1928).

And here’s another fun fact: Mickey’s original name was Mortimer Mouse, but Walt Disney’s wife suggested changing it to the friendlier-sounding “Mickey.” The rest is history.

Fun fact: Steamboat Willie was the first cartoon with synchronized sound, making Mickey Mouse the first truly global cartoon star.

By the late 1940s, television was becoming the new form of entertainment. In 1949, the first cartoon series made specifically for TV was Crusader Rabbit, created by Jay Ward.

It was a simple black-and-white series, but it paved the way for future classics like Looney Tunes, The Flintstones, and Scooby-Doo.

Cartoons also reached India quite early. In 1934, animator Gunamoy Banerjee created “The Pea Brothers“, India’s first animated short film.

It showed peas jumping out of a pod and running around, a simple idea, but revolutionary for its time. Later, Indian pioneers like Bhimsain Khurana and Ram Mohan developed the Indian cartoon industry, inspiring generations.

Cartoons began in the West, while anime originated in Japan.

The earliest known Japanese animation, Katsudō Shashin, dates back to around 1907–1911, roughly the same time as Cohl’s Fantasmagorie.

So, the answer is: they both evolved almost simultaneously, though cartoons gained international fame faster, while anime exploded globally decades later.

Sound changed everything in cinema, and cartoons weren’t left behind.

In 1929, Mickey Mouse became the first cartoon character to speak. In the short film The Karnival Kid, he famously said: “Hot dogs! Hot dogs!”

Audiences went crazy, and Mickey instantly became a superstar.

Another landmark came in 1932, when Disney’s Flowers and Trees became the first-ever cartoon in full Technicolor.

The vibrant colors brought animation to life in a whole new way, and Disney never looked back.

• Fantasmagorie (1908) was only 1 minute 20 seconds long.
• Fantasmagorie was named after “phantasmagoria,” a popular type of ghostly theater show in the 1800s.
• Émile Cohl drew over 700 drawings by hand for it.
• Felix the Cat (1919) was the first cartoon superstar.
• Mickey Mouse was almost named Mortimer Mouse.
• Mickey Mouse wasn’t Disney’s first star; Oswald came first.
• The first TV cartoon was Crusader Rabbit (1949).
• India’s first cartoon was The Pea Brothers (1934).
• India’s first female animator was Ram Mohan, often called the “Father of Indian Animation.”
• The first cartoon in color was Flowers and Trees (1932), which won the first Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.
• The first computer-generated cartoon was Pixar’s Toy Story (1995).

When Émile Cohl created his little stick figure in 1908, he probably had no idea he was starting an industry that would one day be worth billions of dollars.

Today, from Disney to Pixar, from Marvel animations to Japanese anime, from Netflix originals to Indian cartoons, the magic of animation entertains children and adults alike across the globe.

And it all began with a man, a pen, and 700 sheets of paper.

Timeline of Cartoon History (Quick Look)

• 1906 – First animated short: Humorous Phases of Funny Faces.
• 1908 – First real cartoon: Fantasmagorie.
• 1919 – First cartoon series: Felix the Cat.
• 1927 – Disney’s Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.
• 1928 – Mickey Mouse in Steamboat Willie (first sound cartoon).
• 1932 – Flowers and Trees (first color cartoon).
• 1949 – Crusader Rabbit (first TV cartoon).
• 1995 – Toy Story (first full CGI cartoon).

Conclusion

As we celebrate the 117th anniversary of the world’s first cartoon in 2025, it’s a perfect reminder that big revolutions often start small.

A stick figure in Fantasmagorie paved the way for Mickey Mouse, Looney Tunes, Chhota Bheem, Doraemon, Frozen, Minions, and beyond.

So the next time you laugh at a cartoon or get emotional watching an animated movie, remember it all started in 1908 with a Frenchman’s dream.

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