Short answers, pulled from the story.
The first documented American animation was Humorous Phases of Funny Faces, released by Vitagraph in 1906. It was directed by James Stuart Blackton, widely regarded as the father of American animation.
On the 8th of December, 1941, the Disney Studio lot in Burbank was requisitioned by the U.S. Army as an anti-aircraft base and occupied for eight months. By 1942, approximately 93% of the studio's production output was devoted to government-related projects, including training films and propaganda for the military and the public.
Disney acquired Pixar for $7.4 billion on the 24th of January, 2006. The deal followed a co-production agreement dating to 1991 in which Disney distributed Pixar's films and earned up to 50% of profits; by the early 2000s, approximately 70% of Disney's animation revenue came from Pixar-distributed films.
Pixar's six films released between 1995 and 2005 -- Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, and Cars -- grossed over $3.2 billion globally. That commercial performance was a key factor driving Disney's decision to purchase the studio.
The television era of American animation ran roughly from the late 1950s to the mid-1980s and was characterized by low budgets, limited animation techniques, and cartoons aimed primarily at children. Critics and animation historians have referred to it as the bronze age or dark age because of its perceived cheap production values and mixed critical reception, though it remains fondly remembered by members of Generation X who grew up with Saturday-morning cartoons.
Nickelodeon launched the Nicktoons brand in 1991. The network was owned by successive incarnations of Viacom until 2019, then ViacomCBS until 2022, and Paramount Global thereafter.