Sesame Street premiered on public television stations on November 10, 1969. It was the first preschool educational television program to base its contents and production values on laboratory and formative research.

After being conceived in 1966 by television producer Joan Ganz Cooney and Carnegie Foundation vice president Lloyd Morrisett, Sesame Street was officially announced at a press conference on May 6, 1969. Newly named Childrens’ Television Workshop executive director Cooney stated that Sesame Street would use the techniques of commercial television shows to educate young children. In the long-running series, live shorts and animated cartoons teach children the alphabet, numbers, vocabulary, shapes and basic reasoning skills. Celebrity guest cameos helped attract older children and adults.

According to Cooney, the name Sesame Street was derived from the saying “open sesame,” which gives the idea of a place where exciting things happen. The show was given an initial six-month run in order to determine whether it was effective and would continue on air.