54 years ago today, on November 10, 1969, an iconic and beloved children's television show made its debut, leaving a lasting impact on generations of viewers.
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00:00 What happened today in the year 1969?
00:03 54 years ago today, on November 10, 1969, an iconic and beloved children's television
00:10 show made its debut, leaving a lasting impact on generations of viewers.
00:15 Sesame Street was created by former public television documentary filmmaker Joan Ganz
00:20 Cooney.
00:21 Cooney sought to provide programming for preschoolers that would both entertain and educate.
00:27 Puppeteer Jim Henson created some of television's most recognizable characters for the show,
00:32 including Big Bird, Grover, Oscar the Grouch and Bird and Ernie.
00:36 The show's diverse human characters and positive social messages were somewhat groundbreaking
00:41 for the time.
00:43 The show continues to tackle difficult topics, including HIV and the US opioid crisis.
00:49 Sesame Street has played in more than 120 countries and has been viewed by more than
00:54 80 million Americans alone.
01:04 (upbeat music)