History of anime

Anime in Japan started off in the early 20th century mimicing American cartoons and comics. They were heavily influenced by the success of Disney in the United States with movies such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Then, in the mid-20th century, Osamu Tezuka produced many famous and commercially successful works such as Astro Boy in 1963, which started to branch from foreign styles. The success of Astro Boy on Japanese television encouraged many more productions in styles that are now recognizable in modern anime.

Wikipedia article on the History of Anime