Today in Soap Opera History (October 16)

1972: Emmerdale Farm premiered.
1985: ATWT's Holden introduced himself as the new stable boy.
1985: Theo died on Days of our Lives.
1992: Days of our Lives' Isabella died.

Every day, we dig into the archives to celebrate the moments, milestones, and memories that shaped the soaps we love—from daytime classics to digital dramas. Relive the weddings, scandals, premieres, finales, and unforgettable twists that made history.

ON THIS DAY IN...

1939: Irna Phillips' The Right to Happiness, a spinoff of popular radio soap opera The Guiding Light, premiered on the NBC Blue Network. The show initially focused on the character Rose Kransky from Guiding Light but eventually Carolyn Allen (played first by Eloise Kummer and then Claudia Morgan) took center stage. Carolyn remained the central character of the program (eventually becoming the most-married radio soap opera heroine, with four husbands) until the series ended on November 25, 1960, the day that network radio soap operas died.

Today in Soap Opera History (October 14)

1980: GH's Laura didn't  actually leave after saying goodbye to Luke. 1980: Larkin Malloy made his Edge of Night debut. 1985: One Life to Live's Tina figured out Viki was Niki Smith. 2001: Degrassi: The Next Generation premiered.

Every day, we dig into the archives to celebrate the moments, milestones, and memories that shaped the soaps we love—from daytime classics to digital dramas. Relive the weddings, scandals, premieres, finales, and unforgettable twists that made history.

ON THIS DAY IN...

1970: On Another World, after being jilted by the man she loved, Wayne Addison (Robert Milli), Liz (Nancy Wickwire) was convinced she had no life. "I have nothing," she told her daughter, Susan (Lisa Cameron). "Nothing that matters."

1980: Larkin Malloy made his first appearance on The Edge of Night as "Schuyler Whitney."

Today in Soap Opera History (October 13)

1965: Peyton Place's Allison was injured in a hit and run. 1978: Faith fell over a banister on Ryan's Hope.  1981: Another World's Alice and Mac announced their engagement.  1988: General Hospital's Duke vowed to stay by Anna's side.

Every day, we dig into the archives to celebrate the moments, milestones, and memories that shaped the soaps we love—from daytime classics to digital dramas. Relive the weddings, scandals, premieres, finales, and unforgettable twists that made history.

ON THIS DAY IN...

1947: On radio soap opera Lora Lawton, Joe visited Lora (Jan Miner) at her London flat. She told him she was going to communicate with Peter through a series of pictures she drew for him.

1965: On Peyton Place, Dr. Michael Rossi (Ed Nelson) called Connie MacKenzie (Dorothy Malone) to tell her that her daughter, Allison, was injured in a hit-and-run accident.

Today in Soap Opera History (October 10)

1975: One Live to Live's Tony and Pat got reacquainted. 1986: Another World's Mary rejected Vince and stayed with Reginald. 2003: Death came for Sheridan on Passions.  2007: Colonel Mayer tried to murder Luke on As the World Turns.

Every day, we dig into the archives to celebrate the moments, milestones, and memories that shaped the soaps we love—from daytime classics to digital dramas. Relive the weddings, scandals, premieres, finales, and unforgettable twists that made history.

ON THIS DAY IN...

1932: General Mills-sponsored Betty and Bob debuted on NBC Blue radio. It was the first daytime show to be produced by Frank Hummert and Anne Ashenhurst. Married in 1935, the Hummerts became known as the "King & Queen of Soaps". Betty and Bob was the first true network soap opera on the air, using melodrama at its core.

1972: Victoria Thompson debuted as Janice Frame on Another World.

1975: On One Life to Live, Tony Lord (George Reinholt) got reacquainted with his ex-girlfriend and new editor of The Banner, as Pat Ashley. Pat was played by Jacqueline Courtney, who had departed Another World in July after playing Alice Matthews for 11 years. Reinholt played Steve Frame on Another World for seven years, and his pairing with Courtney as Steve and Alice was one of the most popular in soap opera history.

Today in Soap Opera History (October 9)

1979: Dick Cavett guest-starred on All My Children. 1981: Kristin was the dead woman in the pool on Dallas. 1985: Melissa Reeves made her first appearance on Days of our Lives. 2007: Timbaland performed on One Life to Live.

Every day, we dig into the archives to celebrate the moments, milestones, and memories that shaped the soaps we love—from daytime classics to digital dramas. Relive the weddings, scandals, premieres, finales, and unforgettable twists that made history.

ON THIS DAY IN...

1957: On The Right to Happiness, Nurse Helen Mason (Ruth Newton) reported overhearing a racketeer's confession of drugging her patient which broke the defense of the fraudulent insurance claim case.

1967: On Dark Shadows, Dave Woodard (Peter Turgeon) told Julia Hoffman (Grayson Hall) that he discovered the "original" Barnabas Collins had a sister named Sarah. He then revealed he met and walked with Sarah (Sharon Smyth) in the mausoleum.