May 16, 1990 -- We lost puppeteer Jim Henson, aged 53.

On a related note: his IMDB entry, along with early obituaries, listed his cause of death as "bacterial pneumonia." WRONG! The real truth, however, is far more sad: in the early morning hours of May 15, 1990, days after complaining of a sore throat, Henson was rushed into a New York hospital for a simple operation; instead, just 24 hours later, May 16, 1990, 1 a.m. ET / 10 p.m. PT, Henson went into septic shock -- and ultimately died, aged 53.

In honor of this solumn occasion, I'll share with you my earliest memories of watching Henson's Muppet creations: it was the original theatrical release of "The Muppet Christmas Carol." I soon graduated to other Henson shows.

Of all the shows Henson EVER created, I believe the best was "Fraggle Rock."

How about you: what are some of YOUR favorite Henson moments?

Well, I think that "The Muppet Show" was Henson's shining achievement as it encapsulated all of his humor, imagination, whimsy and creativity. Great guest hosts, great new (and old) muppet characters, neat songs and skits and just a wonderful berserk yet somehow sentimental tone; I really loved it.

Of course I go further back with Henson, as I was five when "Sesame Street" premiered in 1969. That show really helped launch him into superstardom.

I liked all the first run Muppet movies, too, and enjoyed The Dark Crystal and The Jim Henson Hour, too. Honestly I can't think of a big misstep for Henson, creatively.

:rip: Jim Henson!!