On this day in 2001, the final episode of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood aired, after nearly 35 years on the air. Towards the end of the show, Mister Rogers reminded his television neighbors that he was proud of all of them. #MisterRogers50 | Fred Rogers Productions

Forty years ago today, this episode of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood aired for the first time. Thank you, PBS, for bringing us Fred's beautiful vision for a world of kindness and creativity. Three generations of my family grew up on PBS — let’s make sure it’s there for many generations to come. | Yo-Yo Ma

1.2M views · 46K reactions | That time Margaret Hamilton visited Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and reassured us that the Wicked Witch of the West is just pretend. Far from Kansas, Toto, but most definitely a beautiful day. (️: Fred Rogers Productions) | GBH | Facebook

Images of Fred Rogers posing with one or both middle fingers extended have long been circulated on the internet with captions claiming they captured the children’s show host disdainfully “flipping off” his audience during the taping of the final Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood episode. Although the pictures may appear puzzling out of context, they’re actually screen captures from a harmless moment in 1967 when Fred Rogers led some youngsters through the familiar children’s song “Where Is Thumbkin?”,