1971

Theatrical releases

 * March 17 - The Barefoot Executive
 * June 22 - Scandalous John
 * June 30 - The Million Dollar Duck
 * July 7 - Pinocchio (re-issue)
 * December 13 - Bedknobs and Broomsticks
 * December 17 - Lady and the Tramp (re-issue)

Theme park happenings

 * October 1 - The Walt Disney World opens.

Books

 * Surprise for Mickey Mouse
 * Big Al 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 - Eric Jacobson (puppeteer)
 * January 17 - Regina King (actress)
 * January 25 - Ana Ortiz (actress and singer)
 * February 1 - Hynden Walch (voice actress)
 * February 3 - Elisa Donovan (actress, writer, and producer)
 * February 4 - Rob Corddry (actor and comedian)
 * February 12 - Scott Menville (actor, musician and voice actor)
 * February 17 - Denise Richards (actress)
 * February 22 - Lea Salonga (actress and singer)
 * February 25 - Sean Astin (actor, director, producer, voice artist)
 * March 5 - Yuri Lowenthal (voice actor, actor, writer)
 * March 7 - Kali Troy (voice actress)
 * March 10 - Jon Hamm (actor and director)
 * March 12 - Roy Glenn (character actor)
 * March 16 - Alan Tudyk (actor)
 * March 27 - Nathan Fillion (actor)
 * March 29 - Michael-Leon Wooley (voice artist)
 * March 31 -
 * Ewan McGregor (actor)
 * Craig McCracken (animator)
 * April 12 - Nicholas Brendon (actor and writer)
 * April 18 - David Tennant
 * 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)
 * August 2 - Alice Evans (actress)
 * August 4 - Jeff Gordon (racing driver, 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, comedienne, voice artist, producer, and writer)
 * 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 24 - Mario Sorrenti (photographer and director)
 * October 26 -
 * Rosemarie DeWitt (actress)
 * Anthony Rapp (actor and singer)
 * Phil Johnston (animator, producer, director, storyboard artist, voice actor)
 * October 29 - Winona Ryder (actress and producer)
 * November 10 - John Roberts (actor, comedian and writer)
 * November 11 - David DeLuise (actor)
 * November 12 - Rebecca Wisocky (actress)
 * 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 5 - Kali Rocha (actress)
 * December 7 - Stephanie D'Abruzzo (actress and puppeteer)
 * December 18 - Lucy Deakins (actress)
 * December 21 - Alice Bah Kuhnke (politian and TV presenter)

Deaths

 * February 20 - William Lava (composer and arranger)
 * April 6 - Igor Stravinsky (composer)
 * April 20 - Cecil Parker (character and comedy actor)
 * July 7 - Ub Iwerks (animator)
 * July 8 - Bill Thompson (voice artist)
 * July 17 - Cliff Edwards (singer and voice artist)
 * August 15 - Paul Lukas (actor)
 * September 20 - James Westerfield (stage, film and television actor)
 * September 23 - Billy Gilbert (voice actor)
 * October 11 - Chester Conklin (comedian and actor)
 * November 17 - Gladys Cooper (actress)
 * December 20 - Roy Oliver Disney (co-founder of The Walt Disney Company)
 * December 28 -
 * Burt Gillett (animator)
 * Max Steiner (music composer)

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.