Stephen Hillenburg
- Born
- 21 August 1961 (57 years old)
- Passed away
- 26 November 2018
- Place of birth
- Fort Sill, Oklahoma, USA
- Gender
- Male
Stephen McDannell Hillenburg (August 21, 1961 – November 26, 2018) was an American animator, cartoonist, and marine-biology teacher. He was the creator of the Nickelodeon animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants (1999–), which he also directed, produced, and wrote. It has gone on to become the fifth longest-running American animated series.
