By Rebecca Shabad and Claudia Kalb
Since the Muppets debuted in 1969, more than 77 million people worldwide have watched them and their friends laugh, sing, and dance as they share life's lessons. The show has taught preschoolers how to recognize numbers and letters and how to get along with their friends and neighbors. And through Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, kids have learned how to avoid lead poisoning and how to cope with a parent's military deployment. From the start, Sesame Street's mission has been to make a difference in the lives of children, especially disadvantaged kids. Over the decades, its scope has broadened to include critical global issues, like the stigma of HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. A look at the show's impact in the U.S. and around the world.
