Influential children's entertainer Jim Henson (1936-1990) is best known for inventing the Muppets, a softer versions of puppets. His characters were a key component of Sesame Street, the children's educational television program seen worldwide. Henson's creations also appeared in their own program, The Muppet Show, as well as a number of other television programs and films.

Henson was born on September 24, 1936 in Greenville, Mississippi, and grew up in the nearby town of Leland. His father worked for the federal government as an agronomist. When Henson was about ten years old, his family moved to suburban Maryland when his father's job took him to Washington, D.C. While in high school, Henson became intrigued by television and its possibilities. He was a fan of early puppet television shows Kukla, Fran and Ollie and Life with Snarky Parker, and their creators Burr Tillstrom and Bil and Cora Baird, respectively. Henson...