Scooby-Doo debuted on CBS-TV on September 13, 1969! Fun Facts about Scooby & his Pals…

The cartoon debuted on CBS September 13, 1969, and new episodes still air in syndication, making it the longest-running animated series ever.

A CBS exec named the dog after hearing Frank Sinatra’s nonsense line “Scooby-dooby-doo” in his hit song “Strangers in the Night.”  (Hear it below, about 2:20 into the song)

Scooby’s human co-stars Fred, Daphne, Velma and Shaggy were inspired by the “I Love A Mystery” radio show and the sitcom “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis.”

The show was originally titled “Mysteries Five And Who’s Scared?” before bigwigs settled on “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?”

The dog breed was chosen by a show artist, who was friends with the owner of an award-winning Great Dane.

Scott Innes provided Scooby’s voice for the movie. On TV, the talking Great Dane was voiced by Don Messick, who also provided the vocals for Bamm-Bamm of “The Flintstones” and Yogi Bear’s buddy Boo-Boo.

The late Casey Kasem voiced Shaggy on the TV.

A young Dave Coulier was hired to supply various voices for the TV cartoon. Later, he starred with the Olsen twins on ABC’s “Full House.”

Brainy Velma has never piloted the four-wheel-drive Mystery Machine van. At 15, she’s not old enough to have a driver’s license.

In 1997, NASA scientists honored the series by dubbing a rock floating around Mars “Scooby-Doo.”