This Day in History: , 'Sesame Street' Debuts .<br />November 10, 1969.<br />'Sesame Street' was created by former public television documentary filmmaker, Joan Ganz Cooney.<br />Cooney sought to provide <br />programming for preschoolers <br />that would both entertain and educate.<br />Puppeteer Jim Henson created some of television's most recognizable characters for the show, including Big Bird, Grover, Oscar the Grouch and Bert and Ernie.<br />The show's diverse human characters <br />and positive social messages were <br />somewhat groundbreaking for the time.<br />The show continues to <br />tackle difficult topics, <br />including HIV and the U.S. opioid crisis.<br />'Sesame Street' has played in more than <br />120 countries and has been viewed by more <br />than 80 million Americans alone
