It's Happy Birthday for Mickey Mouse

Walt Disney once said, "It all started with a mouse," and as of November 18, that mouse is 80, reports channelnewsasia.com.

Can't believe that lovable Mickey Mouse is that old? Well it's true, he saw his debut at the Colony Theater in New York in 1928 in a seven-minute cartoon called "Steamboat Willie."

To celebrate the birthday of Walt Disney's little mouse that could, here are a few little tidbits of trivia you may not know.

- His name wasn't always Mickey. At first, his name was Mortimer, but thankfully Disney's wife preferred the name Mickey and so the change was made.

- Starting in January of 1930, the rodent had a comic strip drawn by artist Ub Iwerks that moved to the Sunday comics in 1932.

- That same year, Walt Disney won a special Academy Award for inventing the mouse.

- As amazing as it sounds, Mickey has been in over 120 cartoons.

- Pop sensations Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake all got their start on the show, The Mickey Mouse Club.

Despite his age and achievements, the mouse doesn't seem to be slowing down or dwindling in popularity. You can still watch him on Mickey's Club House airing on StarHub.

So bring on the birthday cake and light those candles with pride Mickey. . . . Just, um, make sure they don't start a fire.