Koko the gorilla - Black, five-year-old gorilla who had been taught a 300 word vocabulary in sign language. Koko had appeared with comedian Lili Tomlin on August 28, 1976 NBC program filmed at Stanford University whose scientists, like Dr. Penny Paterson, who trained Koko to talk by using American Sign Language. Koko has also made appearances with morning talk shows like TODAY as well as embraced by the welcoming arms of PBS children's show host Fred Rogers. Koko's life was chronicled in the documentary  "Koko, a Talking Gorilla." (Criterion) by French director Barbet Schroeder.