Jim Henson (born September 24, 1936, Greenville, Mississippi, U.S.—died May 16, 1990, New York, New York) was an American puppeteer and filmmaker, creator of the Muppets of television and motion pictures. He coined the term Muppets as a meld of marionettes and puppets. His characters and those of his assistants included such familiar figures as Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Big Bird, and the Cookie Monster.
