Fans and neighbors all over the world mourned the death of beloved children’s TV host, Fred Rogers, 20 years ago to the day, February 27th 2003.
The host welcomed us into his neighborhood to teach children around the world how to understand emotions and challenges to come in life.
Mister Roger’s Neighborhood ran between 1968 to 2001 with 895 episodes in that time.
He originally started his career as a TV assistant and floor manager for music programs in New York City, before moving back to Pittsburgh to help found WQED, the first community-supported educational television station.
The host would share the screen with an array special guests as well as the 15 puppets he would puppeteer in his magical Neighborhood of Make-Believe.
Mister Rogers was so much more than just a TV host though.
He was also ordained as a Presbyterian minister in 1963 with a charge to serve children and families through television. Not only that, but he served as a chairman of a White House forum on child development and the mass media in 1968.
The highly praised movie A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood was released in 2019, with Tom Hanks portraying the host and his real-life friendship with journalist Lloyd Vogel.
Fred Rodgers had a wife of 50 years, Joanne, who recently passed away in 2021. He is survived by his two children and three grandchildren alongside all those who welcomed him into their home for so many years.