Premise

"Tom and Jerry" episodes feature the antics of the sneaky mouse Jerry and his ambitious, would-be captor cat Tom. Tom continuously pursues Jerry, only to be foiled--often painfully--upon every attempt he makes at capturing the sly mouse.

Animators

William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, the now legendary animators, are responsible for creating the "Tom and Jerry" cartoons with which viewers today are familiar. They wrote, directed and helped animate over 200 shorts about the characters, and the animators won several Academy Awards for their work.

Original Tom and Jerry

While viewers associated the names Tom and Jerry with a cat and mouse, the original "Tom and Jerry" cartoons--prior to MGM picking up the trademark names--were two human animated figures who would find their way into--and out of--bizarre situations. These cartoons were produced by the Van Beuren studio.

First Episode

The first episode of "Tom and Jerry" was called "Puss Gets the Boot." It was created in 1939, and it debuted in theaters in 1940. This episode, wherein Jerry destroys various items in the house to get Tom in trouble, received such a fantastic response that Tom and Jerry were propelled into almost instant stardom.

Final Episodes

The final "Tom and Jerry" short created by Hanna and Barbera themselves was released in 1958. After the show changed hands between animators and studios a couple of times in the ensuing decades, the series reached its end in 1977.

Source:

The Wonderful World of Hanna Barbera

The Origin of Tom and Jerry