1971

Feature films

 * ? - 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (re-issue)
 * March 17 - The Barefoot Executive
 * June 22 - Scandalous John
 * June 30 - The Million Dollar Duck
 * July 7 - Pinocchio (re-issue)
 * November 11 - Bedknobs and Broomsticks (New York City, New York)
 * December 13 - Bedknobs and Broomsticks
 * December 17 - Lady and the Tramp (re-issue)

Shorts

 * Get the Message

Business

 * The Disney studio purchases the screen rights to Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain book series, which would be adapted into the film The Black Cauldron.

Character debuts

 * June 30 - Albert Dooley, Katie Dooley, Jimmy Dooley
 * November 11 - Miss Eglantine Price, Professor Emelius Browne, Charlie Rawlins, Carrie Rawlins, Paul Rawlins, Mrs. Hobday, General Teagler, Captain Greer, Bookman, Swinburne, Mr. Jelk, Cosmic Creepers, Colonel Heller, Nazis, Astoroth, King Leonidas, Mr. Codfish, Secretary Bird, Knights

Theme parks

 * October 1 - The Walt Disney World opens.

Books

 * Surprise for Mickey Mouse
 * Big Albert Moves In

Births

 * January 2 - Renée Elise Goldsberry (actress, singer, and songwriter)
 * January 7 - Jeremy Renner (actor)
 * January 8 - Zac Moncrief (producer and director)
 * January 15
 * Regina King (actress)
 * Eric Jacobson (puppeteer)
 * January 25 - Ana Ortiz (actress and singer)
 * February 1
 * Hynden Walch (voice actress, actress, and singer)
 * Michael C. Hall (actor, voice actor, and producer)
 * February 3 - Elisa Donovan (actress, writer, and producer)
 * February 4 - Rob Corddry (actor and comedian)
 * February 6 - Brian Stepanek (actor, voice actor, and comedian)
 * February 12 - Scott Menville (actor, musician, and voice actor)
 * February 22 - Lea Salonga (singer and actress)
 * February 25 - Sean Astin (actor, voice actor, director, and producer)
 * March 5 - Yuri Lowenthal (voice actor, actor, and writer)
 * March 7 - Kali Troy (voice actress)
 * March 10 - Jon Hamm (actor, director, producer, and screenwriter)
 * March 13 - Annabeth Gish (actress)
 * March 16 - Alan Tudyk (actor and voice actor)
 * March 22 - Keegan-Michael Key (actor, comedian, and writer)
 * March 27 - Nathan Fillion (actor and voice actor)
 * March 29
 * Michael-Leon Wooley (actor, voice actor, singer, and activist)
 * Monica Richardson (actress)
 * March 31
 * Ewan McGregor (actor)
 * Craig McCracken (animator, director, and producer)
 * April 12 - Nicholas Brendon (actor, voice actor, and writer)
 * April 15 - Andy Daly (actor, comedian, and writer)
 * April 18 - David Tennant (actor and voice actor)
 * April 19 - Scott McCord (actor, voice actor, musician, composer, producer, filmmaker, and Co-Artistic Director of Criminal Theatre)
 * April 23 - Teresa Gallagher (actress, voice actress, and singer)
 * April 26 - Jay DeMarcus (singer-songwriter and musician)
 * May 9 - Nicolas Ghesquière (fashion designer)
 * May 14 - Sofia Coppola (screenwriter, director, producer, and actress)
 * May 27 - Paul Bettany (voice actor)
 * May 30
 * Idina Menzel (actress and singer)
 * John Ross Bowie (actor and comedian)
 * June 3 - Benedict Wong (actor)
 * June 5 - Mark Wahlberg (actor, producer, and former rapper)
 * June 18 - Kerry Butler (actress)
 * July 1 - Melissa Peterman (actress and comedian)
 * July 8 - Amy O'Neill (actress)
 * July 12 - Kristi Yamaguchi (figure skater)
 * July 16 - Corey Feldman (actor and singer)
 * July 20 - Sandra Oh (actress)
 * July 25 - Miriam Shor (actress)
 * July 30 - Christine Taylor (actress)
 * August 4 - Jeff Gordon (racing driver and philanthropist)
 * August 6 - Merrin Dungey (actress)
 * August 10 - Justin Theroux (actor, comedian, and screenwriter)
 * August 12 - Yvette Nicole Brown (actress, singer, and comedian)
 * August 29 - Carla Gugino (actress)
 * September 1 - Dave Wittenberg (voice actor)
 * September 8
 * David Arquette (actor, director, producer, and screenwriter)
 * Martin Freeman (actor)
 * September 9 - Eric Stonestreet (actor)
 * September 14 - Kimberly Williams-Paisley (actress)
 * September 15 - Colleen O'Shaughnessey (voice actress)
 * September 16 - Amy Poehler (actress, comedian, voice actress, director, producer, and screenwriter)
 * September 18 - Jada Pinkett Smith (actress)
 * September 29 - Mackenzie Crook (English actor and stand-up comedian)
 * September 30 - Jenna Elfman (actress)
 * October 10 - Sacha Baron Cohen (English comedic actor, writer, and voice actor)
 * October 20 - Rachel House (actress and director)
 * October 22 - Jennifer Lee (director, screenwriter, and producer)
 * October 24 - Mario Sorrenti (photographer and director)
 * October 26
 * Rosemarie DeWitt (actress)
 * Anthony Rapp (actor and singer)
 * Phil Johnston (animator, producer, director, storyboard artist, and voice actor)
 * October 29 - Winona Ryder (actress and producer)
 * November 11 - David DeLuise (actor, comedian, and film director)
 * November 12 - Rebecca Wisocky (actress)
 * November 15 - Danny Pardo (actor and writer)
 * November 20 - Joel McHale (stand-up comedian, actor, writer, television producer, television personality, and voice artist)
 * November 23 - Lesley Fera (actress)
 * November 24 - Lola Glaudini (actress)
 * December 1 - Emily Mortimer (actress and voice actress)
 * December 7 - Stephanie D'Abruzzo (actress and puppeteer)
 * December 18 - Lucy Deakins (actress)
 * December 19 - Amy Locane (actress)
 * December 21 - Alice Bah Kuhnke (politician and TV presenter)

Deaths

 * February 20 - William Lava (composer and arranger)
 * July 7 - Ub Iwerks (animator, cartoonist, director, producer, and special effects technician)
 * July 8 - Bill Thompson (voice artist)
 * July 17 - Cliff Edwards (singer and voice artist)
 * September 20 - James Westerfield (actor)
 * September 23 - Billy Gilbert (voice actor)
 * December 20 - Roy Oliver Disney (co-founder of the Walt Disney Company)