Elmo made his first debut on Sesame Street 25 years ago today. When we saw him in action for the very first time; most did not realize the pop-culture phenomenon he would later become. Elmo, as we know him today, voiced by puppeteer Kevin Clash, was introduced on November 18, 1985; however the puppet figure of Elmo was introduced in 1970s and voiced by several other Sesame Street alumni. It was after Elmo was taken over by Kevin Clash and given his signature voice and laugh that young audience grew to love Elmo. He has been a regular on Sesame Street ever since, and with his special segment Elmo’s World.
It is hard to believe that Elmo is over 25 years old. As a child I watched Sesame Street before Elmo’s debut, so I was raised on the older characters. Despite this Elmo is my favorite Sesame Street character. There is something about that character that transcends time.