http://www.google.de/logos/sandmannchen_09-hp.jpg

Why today?

„However, on 22 November 1959 (less than three weeks after the production had started), East German television (Deutscher Fernsehfunk, DFF) began broadcasting Unser Sandmännchen with its own "good night, children" character, also called Sandmännchen.“

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandm%C3%A4nnchen#Background