Original: James Maury '' Jim '' Henson ( September 24 , 1936 -- May 16 , 1990 ) , was one of the most widely known puppeteers in American history.HowStuffWorks.com He was the creator of The Muppets .
Simplified: James Maury '' Jim '' Henson ( September 24 , 1936 -- May 16 , 1990 ) was an American artist , puppeteer , and moviemaker .