Yogi, everyone's favorite smarter-than-average bear, started out as a supporting character in the popular Huckleberry Hound Show in 1958. The mischievous bear proved such a fan favorite that Hanna-Barbera gave him his own animated series in 1961.

Dressed in a collar, tie and hat (but no pants!), Yogi Bear was inspired by Art Carney's Honeymooners character, Ed Norton. He lived in Jellystone Park with best friend and sidekick, Boo Boo, a smaller bear. Yogi loved to boast that he was "smarter than the average bear" and considered Jellystone to be a charmed life for a crafty animal like him. His one obsession was stealing picnic baskets from campers and getting away with it, right under the nose of Ranger Smith. Boo Boo went along with Yogi's shenanigans but had a more sober personality than his lumbering friend.

Yogi Bear's lilting, rhyming speech has been often imitated as have his various catchphrases that still pepper common vocabulary 50 years later. His favorite source of food was "pic-a-nic baskets" and he often broke out a joyous "Hey, Boo Boo!" Reruns still air on the Cartoon Network where you can enjoy Yogi, Boo Boo and Ranger Smith in their native Jellystone habitat.

The character spawned numerous other cartoons after his debut, like Yogi's Gang, Yogi's Space Race and more recently, Yo, Yogi!, wherein Yogi got the cool 90s treatment.