His image appeared on T-shirts, lunch boxes and watches, and the telltale mouse ears are still worn by kids visiting Disney theme parks today.

To mark his birthday, Disney opened a 16,000-square-foot art exhibition in Manhattan, called "Mickey: The True Original Exhibition," featuring original art, larger-than-life photo ops and, of course, commemorative merchandise. The exhibition runs until February 10.

After all, reaching one's 90th birthday is a milestone for anyone, but especially for a mouse, which the pest control company Terminix estimates has a normal lifespan of no more than three years.

Reuters