Happy Birthday, Sesame Street!

In case you were wondering why Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, and other Sesame Street characters have been gracing Google's main page, November 10 is the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street. The internet is filled with articles, stories, and other tributes to this milestone. Among my favorites:

• CNN has a brief but interesting article on how the show has changed since its introduction in 1969 (Cookie Monster no longer is a compulsive eater and Oscar has mellowed considerably)
• Cake Wrecks: Sunday Sweets for this week is dedicated to cakes with a Sesame Street theme.
• The Mental Floss site has several articles on Sesame Street, including a recent one about fictional characters who have made cameos on the show and an older article about Sesame Street rumors (Burt and Ernie are NOT gay)
  
• And from Yahoo News: Sesame Street has made Fox News angry. It just makes me love Sesame Street even more.
  

Growing up, Sesame Street was a favorite for my brother and me. Since there were only 4 channels available at the time, PBS was a popular station in our house, and we had a steady diet of Big Bird, Gordon, Maria, and the others. Although there are numerous Sesame Street memories and moments that I could single out, here are a few great ones (courtesy of YouTube):

Kermit Sings about Being Green


Mr. Hooper's Death


Ernie Sings about his Rubber Duckie


The Muppet Medley from Jim Henson's Memorial Service




I know that these aren't Sesame Street clips, but I think that the moment captures the true essence of what Sesame Street is about. It doesn't shy away from the sadder moments in life (such as the passing of Mr. Hooper), but it also provides comfort during these darker times.