NOVEMBER 10th

On this date in:
1483	Martin Luther, leader of the Protestant Reformation, was born in Eisleben, Germany.
1775	The U.S. Marines were organized under authority of the Continental Congress.
1871	Journalist-explorer Henry M. Stanley found missing Scottish missionary David Livingstone in central Africa and delivered his famous greeting: "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"
1919	The American Legion held its first national convention, in Minneapolis.
1928	Hirohito was enthroned as Emperor of Japan.
1938	Kate Smith first sang Irving Berlin's "God Bless America" on network radio.
1942	British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, discussing the recent victory over Rommel at El Alamein, Egypt, said "Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."
1951	Direct-dial, coast-to-coast telephone service began as Mayor M. Leslie Denning of Englewood, N.J., called his counterpart in Alameda, Calif.
1954	The Iwo Jima Memorial was dedicated in Arlington, Va.
1969	"Sesame Street" debuted on PBS.
1975	The U.N. General Assembly approved a resolution equating Zionism with racism.
1975	The ore-hauling ship Edmund Fitzgerald sank during a storm in Lake Superior. All 29 crew members died.
1982	Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev died at age 75.
1997	A judge in Cambridge, Mass., reduced Louise Woodward's murder conviction to manslaughter and sentenced the English au pair to the 279 days she'd already served in the death of 8-month-old Matthew Eappen.
1997	WorldCom Inc. and MCI Communications Corp. agreed to a $37 billion merger.
2001	The World Trade Organization approved China's membership.
2001	"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" author Ken Kesey died at age 66.
2004	President George W. Bush nominated White House counsel Alberto Gonzales to be attorney general, succeeding John Ashcroft.
2007	Six U.S. troops died in an insurgent ambush, making 2007 the deadliest year for American forces in Afghanistan since 2001.
2007	Author Norman Mailer died at age 84.

Article of the day

Sesame Street debuts

On this day in 1969, "Sesame Street," a pioneering TV show that would teach generations of young children the alphabet and how to count, makes its broadcast debut. "Sesame Street," with its memorable theme song ("Can you tell me how to get/How to get to Sesame Street"), went on to become the most widely viewed children's program in the world. It has aired in more than 120 countries.

The show was the brainchild of Joan Ganz Cooney, a former documentary producer for public television. Cooney's goal was to create programming for preschoolers that was both entertaining and educational. She also wanted to use TV as a way to help underprivileged 3- to 5- year-olds prepare for kindergarten. "Sesame Street" was set in a fictional New York neighborhood and included ethnically diverse characters and positive social messages.

Taking a cue from "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In," a popular 1960s variety show, "Sesame Street" was built around short, often funny segments featuring puppets, animation and live actors. This format was hugely successful, although over the years some critics have blamed the show and its use of brief segments for shrinking children's attention spans.

From the show's inception, one of its most-loved aspects has been a family of puppets known as Muppets. Joan Ganz Cooney hired puppeteer Jim Henson (1936-1990) to create a cast of characters that became Sesame Street institutions, including Bert and Ernie, Cookie Monster, Oscar the Grouch, Grover and Big Bird.

The subjects tackled by "Sesame Street" have evolved with the times. In 2002, the South African version of the program, "Takalani Sesame," introduced a 5-year-old Muppet character named Kami who is HIV-positive, in order to help children living with the stigma of a disease that has reached epidemic proportions. In 2006, a new Muppet, Abby Cadabby, made her debut and was positioned as the show's first female star character, in an effort to encourage diversity and provide a strong role model for girls.

Since its inception, over 74 million Americans have watched "Sesame Street." Today, an estimated 8 million people tune in to the show each week in the U.S. alone.

Today Birthdays

Ellen Pompeo turns 39 years old today.

AP Photo/Peter Kramer Actress Ellen Pompeo ("Grey's Anatomy") turns 39 years old today.

84 Russell Johnson Actor ("Gilligan's Island") 80 Ennio Morricone Film composer 74 Bobby Rush Blues singer 71 Albert Hall Actor 67 Donna Fargo Country singer 65 Saxby Chambliss U.S. senator, R-Ga. 64 Tim Rice Lyricist 62 Alaina Reed Hall Actress 61 Greg Lake Rock singer, musician (Emerson, Lake and Palmer) 59 Ann Reinking Actress, dancer 57 Jack Scalia Actor 53 Roland Emmerich Director 52 Matt Craven Actor 52 Sinbad Actor, comedian 49 Mackenzie Phillips Actress ("One Day at a Time") 48 Neil Gaiman Author 45 Tommy Davidson Actor, comedian ("In Living Color") 45 Mike McCarthy Football coach 44 Kenny Rogers Baseball player 44 Michael Jai White Actor 40 Chris Cagle Country singer 40 Tracy Morgan Actor ("30 Rock," "Saturday Night Live") 38 Warren G Rapper, producer 36 Shawn Green Baseball player 33 Jim Adkins Rock singer, musician (Jimmy Eat World) 31 Brittany Murphy Actress 30 Eve Rapper, actress 29 Chris Joannou Rock musician (Silverchair) 26 Heather Matarazzo Actress 25 Miranda Lambert Country singer 22 Josh Peck Actor ("Drake and Josh")