Happy Birthday: Jim Henson

Born: September 24, 1936 in Greenville, Mississippi, USA
Died: May 16, 1990 (age 53) in New York City, New York, USA

Married to: Jane Henson (28 May 1959 – 16 May 1990) (his death) (5 children)

Died a few days before the weekend he was going to sell his company to Disney, for a reported $150 million.

Created the original Kermit the Frog out of his mother’s old coat and a ping-pong ball. In the beginning Kermit was not a frog, but a lizard-like character. He gradually evolved, and first appeared as Kermit The Frog in Hey Cinderella! (1969) and has remained so ever since.

I believe in taking a positive attitude toward the world, toward people, toward my work. I think I’m here for a purpose. I think it’s very likely that we all are, but I’m only sure about myself. I try to tune myself in to whatever it is that I’m supposed to be, and I try to think of myself as a part of all of us – all mankind and all life. I find it’s not easy to keep these lofty thoughts in mind as the day goes by, but it certainly helps me a great deal to start out this way.