Believe it or not, Sesame Street first aired exactly 46 years ago today on November 10, 1969. The show played such a large role in so many of our early years, but how much do you really know (or remember) about it?
In honor of their birthday, I decided to sit down and dig up a few Sesame Street facts and statistics you may not have known. I hope you enjoy!
- Oscar the Grouch was originally orange.
- Cookie Monster wasn’t created for Sesame Street. He first appeared a few years earlier in a cracker commercial.
- Guy Smiley’s real name is Bernie Liederkrantz.
- The first guest on Sesame Street was James Earl Jones.
- Elmo once testified before Congress.
- “Rubber Duckie” as performed by Ernie, climbed to #16 on the Billboard singles chart in 1970.
- Big Bird is really 8’2″ tall!
- Mr. Hooper’s first name was Harold. He (actor Will Lee) died 33 years ago
- Grover was originally greenish-brown and went by the name “Gleep.”
- Superman and Batman actually appeared in Season 1 of Sesame Street.
Please note that some of these numbers are easier to find than others. Some Sesame Street facts and statistics are based on news reports and not official tallies. Basically, this is the best I can find and I don’t guarantee any of these stats to be 100% accurate.