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.