William Hanna
The animator who, with his partner, built a cartoon empire from a cat-and-mouse chase, defining Saturday mornings for generations.
1910–2001 (age 91)·American animator·Birthday: July 14·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Bill Hanna began his career not as a visionary, but as a structural engineer who found his true calling in the ink and paint of Depression-era animation studios. His partnership with Joe Barbera, formed at MGM, was cinematic alchemy. Where Barbera supplied the gags and story, Hanna provided an unerring sense of timing and musicality, directing the chaotic ballet of Tom and Jerry to seven Academy Awards. When the studio system collapsed, they bet on themselves, founding Hanna-Barbera. With limited budgets, they pioneered limited animation for television, creating a factory of beloved characters from The Flintstones to Scooby-Doo. He was the steady hand, the businessman, and the man who provided the iconic yelps and screeches of their first famous duo. His work didn't just fill screens; it built the foundational mythology of American childhood for the latter half of the twentieth century.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
William was born in 1910, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When William Was Born
The biggest hits of 1910
William's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1910Born
Halley's Comet makes its closest approach
President: William Howard Taft
1915Started school
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1923Became a teenager
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1926Could drive
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1928Could vote
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1931Turned 21
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1940Turned 30
The Blitz: Germany bombs London
Gas: $0.18/galHome: $2,938Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I'll Never Smile Again" — Tommy DorseyBest Picture: Rebecca
1950Turned 40
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1960Turned 50
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1970Turned 60
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1980Turned 70
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1990Turned 80
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2001Died at 91
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
Key Achievements
- Co-created Tom and Jerry, directing over 100 shorts and winning seven Academy Awards for the series.
- Co-founded Hanna-Barbera Productions, which became the most successful television animation studio in history.
- Pioneered the use of limited animation techniques to produce cost-effective, character-driven series for TV.
- Produced and oversaw the creation of seminal TV cartoons including The Flintstones, Yogi Bear, and Scooby-Doo.
Did You Know?
He provided the famous high-pitched scream for Tom the cat in numerous Tom and Jerry cartoons.
Before animation, he studied engineering and journalism at Compton College.
He and Joe Barbera also created the animated title sequence for the classic sitcom I Love Lucy.
“We didn't think of it as limited animation. We thought of it as common sense.”
