The Sesame Street 40th Anniversary

The whole Sesame Street crew is celebrating their 40th Anniversary this month!  It's hard to believe 40 years have flown by since Sesame Street premiered on November 10, 1969.

Four decades have gone by with the over 8-foot bird helping kids ask questions about the world around them.  Big Bird's persona is supposed to resemble that of a six-year-old child.  And what a talented six-year-old he is with all of his talents!  Unicycling can't be easy for an 8-foot bird!

All of their characters have become family favorites and common household names.  Bert, Ernie, Elmo and even Oscar the Grouch have found their way into the hearts of children and parents across generations and across the world.

Sesame Street in general strives to teach kids not only the basics about numbers and the alphabet, but has spent 40 years showing how many different kinds of animals and ethnicities can live together and learn from one another.  While television has been blamed for lack of education and societal downfall, Sesame Street has been using it to teach kids these important educational essentials as well as important life lessons.

Sesame Street has been dedicated to expanding through their forty years to include children from all around the world.  Northern Ireland is the newest addition with Sesame Tree in April of 2008.  Galli Galli Sim Sim is produced in India.  The show has to cover a wide range to reach all of the country's different religions and diverse cultures. With special characters designed specifically for this region, the show hopes to have many educational successes including raising female literacy rates in India, which are significantly lower than male literacy rates.

The show has welcomed over 250 special guests in their forty years.  Buzz Aldrin, Jenny McCarthy, Destiny's Child and Barbara Walters - just to name a few!  From Astronauts to former Playboy bunnies, the show demonstrates the wide spectrum of people that have experiences and knowledge to offer.

Check out Sesame Street online for all of their history and different activities!