A 40-year landmark...

40 years ago today -- on Feb. 18, 1968 -- the first national broadcast of Mister Rogers Neighborhood was aired on educational public television stations throughout the United States.

And, while Fred Rogers passed away in 2003, his show is still on the air on those original (and undoubtedly many other) stations. On WPT, you can find the program at 12:30 p.m. weekdays.

His influence in child development remains as a beacon of compassion, mentoring and understanding. In fact, a recent annual study from Beloit College that gauges the mindset of modern college freshmen pointed out that for today's 18-year-olds, Walter Cronkite was never the most trusted man in America. For them, Fred Rogers was, and still is.

To celebrate the anniversary, NPR's Morning Edition offered a special tribute to Rogers that can be found here.

And, digging way back into the archives, this link leads to an interview with Fred Rogers that was conducted by Be more Tuned In's blogger back in 2002.