The world's most famous rodent, Mickey Mouse, celebrates his 80th birthday on Tuesday.

Mickey first appeared on the silver screen in 1928's "Steamboat Willie", where his profile and personality were a lot more rat-like than the lovable mouse of today.

In the following years, Mickey stayed busy, starring in feature films and on television, enjoying a cult following through the Mickey Mouse Club and overseeing the development of the Disney brand. He also had a long-running romance with Minnie. Walt Disney created Mickey during a difficult time, when he was the head of a small, struggling studio.

The enduring success of the little mouse changed all that and made Walt Disney a household name.