America first saw Jim Henson's puppets, called Muppets, in 1955. They appeared on a five-minute TV show after the nightly news. It was not until 14 years later that the Muppets became stars. Sesame Street, which began in 1969, featured Muppets. This brought Muppets to the attention of a whole new audience. In 1976, Muppets got their own show. The Muppet Show had a huge cast of Muppets. Now, a few of the original Muppets are part of the National Museum of American History. It took a long time for the Muppets to become _________.