Happy 40th Birthday, Sesame Street!

By now you may have noticed the iconic Sesame Street muppets take over Google in the past couple of days. Big Bird, Cookie, Bert & Ernie, Oscar, Elmo, The Count, and the whole gang have drawn attention for being the featured Google Doodles, and in addition to that, they have been EVERYWHERE in the press. The reason for all of the hooplah is that Sesame Street is turning 40 years old today! November 10, 1969 was when the first episode aired, and so the 40th season kicks off today with the much publicized Michelle Obama appearance. Technically, Big Bird has been 6 for 40 years and Elmo is a forever 3 year old, but logic aside, the "World's Longest Street" has been entertaining and educating kids for 40 years, in more than 120 countries (some of them with their own versions of the show), with millions of people who are "Sesame graduates."

In addition to the Google Doodles, the celebrations roll on. Yesterday 64th and Columbus (right outside the Sesame Workshop offices) was named '123 Sesame Street,' and November 10 is now Sesame Street Day. Here's to another 40 years (and more) of making a difference in children's lives!

Some fun links:

Google blog's post on the creation of the Google Doodles, love the behind the scenes photo shoot!

Sesame Street: A Celebration of 40 Years of Life on the Street A giant coffee table book is a treasure trove of everything Sesame. We got this in the office yesterday, and I have to say the book is pretty amazing. And really heavy.

25 Classic Sesame Street Visits Celebrities love the Street: this season will feature celebrities such as Jason Mraz (HOORAH), Cameron Diaz, Sarah Jessica Parker, Ricky Gervais, Kobe Bryant, Adam Sandler, etc.

Sesame Street's official YouTube channel: I'm LOVING the Mad Men parody!