Jim Henson (seen above with the head of Junior Gorg from Fraggle Rock) died seventeen years ago today at the age of 53.

Puppeteers and Muppet fans around the world today are remembering Jim Henson, who died seventeen years ago today. May 16th has become a sort of unofficial day of remembrance for Jim and if you aren’t already familiar with the man’s life, work and legacy (though I suspect most of you reading this already are) you can learn more about it at:

• The Jim Henson Legacy – Dedicated to preserving and perpetuating Jim Henson’s contributions to the worlds of puppetry, television, motion pictures, special effects and media technology.
• The Jim Henson Foundation – Founded in 1983, this non-profit organization annually gives out grant to support the creation of new works of contemporary American puppet theater.
• Muppet Central – The internet’s biggest Muppet fan site.
• The Muppet Wiki – An amazingly comprehensive (over 14,000 article as of this writing) online encylopedia devoted to Jim Henson, his characters and the Henson Company.

I recently blogged about an interesting video interview Jim recorded just shortly before his death.