Jim Henson

Jim Henson (born Sept. 24, 1936 in Greenville, Mississippi; died May 16, 1990) will always be known as the creator of the  Muppets, but they were just a fraction of his talent. He also invented multiple characters on Sesame Street, including Big Bird, Bert & Ernie and Elmo, plus the TV series Fraggle Rock (1983-87); in film, he worked on The Dark Crystal (1982) and the David Bowie-starrer Labyrinth (1986). The Muppet Show ran 1976-81 and Star Wars fans will always remember him for creating, with Frank Oz, Yoda for The Empire Strikes Back (1980).