1984--Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg take over Disney management.
1985--The $30-million "Black Cauldron," Disney's first animated movie in four years, bombs.
March 1986--Disney's "Sleeping Beauty" reissue grosses $40 million, sells well at video stores.
November 1986--Universal's "An American Tail," produced by Steven Spielberg, premieres, makes $47.4 million. Disney takes notice and steps up production.
September 1988--Disney's "Bambi" comes out on video, sells 10.5 million copies.
December 1988--Disney's "Oliver & Co." and Universal's "The Land Before Time" open simultaneously, both do well.
November 1989--Disney's "The Little Mermaid" debuts, grosses $84.4 million, ushering in the new golden era of Disney animation.
November 1989--"All Dogs Go to Heaven," distributed by MGM, grosses $27.1 million.
July 1990--Universal's "Jetsons: The Movie" grosses $20.3 million.
November 1990--Warner Bros.' "The Nutcracker Prince" grosses just $1.8 million.
March 14, 1991--Lyricist Howard Ashman ("Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast") dies of complications of AIDS.
November 1991--Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" opens; it grosses $145.9 million, earns best picture Oscar nomination and goes on to sell 22 million videocassettes.
November 1991--Spielberg's "An American Tail: Fievel Goes West" opens the same day as "Beauty and the Beast," gets clobbered.
April 1992--Fox's "FernGully . . . The Last Rainforest" grosses $24.7 million.
November 1992--Disney's "Aladdin" breaks animation records, grossing $217.4 million, and sells 18 million videos.
June 1993--Fox's "Once Upon a Forest" takes in $6.6 million.
June 1993--"Happily Ever After," a low-budget "Snow White" knockoff from First National Film Corp., fizzles.
October 1993--The video release of "Aladdin" incorporates revised song lyrics to mollify protests from Arab Americans.
November 1993--Spielberg's "We're Back: A Dinosaur's Story" grosses $9.3 million.
November 1993--Robin Williams says Disney misappropriated his voice to sell "Aladdin" merchandise. He and Disney later patch things up.
March 1994--Warner Bros.' "Thumbelina" grosses $11.4 million.
May 1994--20th Century Fox launches animation division.
June 1994--Hemdale's "The Princess and the Goblin" takes in $2.1 million.
June 1994--Disney's "The Lion King" premieres; it goes on to break "Aladdin's" record, grossing $312.9 million and selling 26 million videocassettes.
October 1994--Katzenberg leaves Disney; he, Spielberg and David Geffen found DreamWorks, with animation a business cornerstone.
November 1994--Fox's "The Pagemaster," with the voice of Macaulay Culkin, grosses just $4.2 million.
March 1995--Christian Movie Guide magazine says "Aladdin" includes the lyrics "All good teenagers take off your clothes."
April 1995--MGM's "The Pebble and the Penguin" grosses $4 million.
May 1995--Warner Bros. Feature Animation announces "Quest for Camelot" as its debut production.
June 1995--Disney's "Pocahontas" grosses $141.6 million.
July 1995--Warner Bros. hires top Disney executive Max Howard to head feature animation department. Disney sues.
August 1995--Antiabortion American Life League says dust clouds in "The Lion King" spell out "SEX" and that the bishop in "The Little Mermaid" has an erection. Other critics say "Little Mermaid" artwork includes a hidden penis.
August 1995--Miramax's "Arabian Knight" takes in $669,000.
August 1995--Fox announces "Anastasia," kicks off a year and a half of heavy promotion.
September 1995--Miramax makes animation deal with director Henry Selick ("The Nightmare Before Christmas").
November 1995--Disney's "Toy Story" takes in $191.8 million.
November 1995--Directors Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise ("Beauty and the Beast") sign long-term Disney deal.
December 1995--Universal's "Balto" grosses $11.3 million.
April 1996--Directors John Musker and Ron Clements ("Little Mermaid," "Aladdin") sign Disney deal.
June 1996--"The Hunchback of Notre Dame" opens; it goes on to sell $100.1 million in tickets for Disney.
June 1996--DreamWorks breaks ground on Glendale animation studio.
December 1996--Paramount's "Beavis and Butt-head Do America" becomes first non-Disney animated film to gross more than $50 million, with $63.1 million.
January 1997--Warner Bros. announces it is moving "Quest for Camelot" from 1997 to 1998.
March 1997--Despite positive reviews, "Cats Don't Dance" brings in just $3.2 million for Warner Bros.
April 1997--Animator Glen Keane ("Beauty and the Beast," "Pocahontas") signs seven-year Disney deal. Stock hits all-time high.
November 1997--Disney schedules theatrical re-release of "The Little Mermaid."
November 1997--Scheduled release date for Fox's "Anastasia."
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* MORE TOON TALK
In Monday's Calendar: the roles of the Internet and high school and college campuses in promoting new, cutting-edge animation talent.
