Today in Soap Opera History (April 25)

On this date in...

1941: NBC Radio aired the final episode of soap opera GIRL ALONE after nearly six years on the air. Betty Winkler starred at Patricia Rogers.

1959: TV Guide magazine ran a feature on the ingenues of detergent dramas featuring THE SECRET STORM's Joan Hotchkis (Myra Lake), FROM THESE ROOTS star Sarah Hardy (Lyddy Benson), YOUNG DOCTOR MALONE's Kathleen Widdoes (Jill Malone), THE GUIDING LIGHT's Joan Gray (Anne Benedict) and AS THE WORLD TURNS actress Wendy Drew (Ellen Lowell).

1967: On DARK SHADOWS, Carolyn Stoddard uttered the famous line, "Do I look like the village idiot?"

1969: BBC radio soap MRS. DALE'S DIARY aired its final episode after a 21 year run.

1977: ALL MY CHILDREN expanded to an hour daily on a full-time basis.  The show remained 60 minutes for the rest of its network television run.  AMC will return to the web as a 30-minute daily drama on Monday, April 29.

1980: Gloria Loring debuted as Liz Chandler in DAYS OF OUR LIVES.

1980: On THE EDGE OF NIGHT, Jamey (James Noseworthy) was rushed to the hospital



1985: On EASTENDERS, Sharon was exposed as the anonymous caller who was driving Sue to the edge of sanity.



1988: Jane A. Rogers debuted as Heather Donnelly in SANTA BARBARA.

1994: On THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, Cole (J. Eddie Peck) and Victor (Eric Braeden) both wanted Victoria (Heather Tom) to go to college.



2007: Jessica Leccia debuted on GUIDING LIGHT as Natalia Rivera.



2011: Indian soap opera SASURAL SIMAR KA premiered.

CORONATION STREET's William Roache is the
longest running soap opera actor in history, having
played Ken Barlow for 53 straight years.  He passed
Don Hastings for the record shortly after CBS
canceled AS THE WORLD TURNS.

Celebrating a birthday today are:
Lynn Hamilton (ex-Alice, PORT CHARLES; ex-Selita, SUNSET BEACH; ex-Vivian, GENERATIONS; ex-Mae, THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS) - 83
William Roache (Ken, CORONATION STREET) - 81
Denny Miller (ex-Max, DALLAS) - 79
Katherine Bruce (ex-Sandy, DARK SHADOWS) - 72
Jeffrey DeMunn (Dale, THE WALKING DEAD) - 66
Neil Tadken (ex-Don, PORT CHARLES) - 53
Lane Caudell (ex-Woody, DAYS OF OUR LIVES) - 51
Heather Rattray (ex-Lily, AS THE WORLD TURNS; ex-Wendy, GUIDING LIGHT) - 48
Gina Torres (ex-Magdalena, ONE LIFE TO LIVE) - 44
Emily Bergl (ex-Beth, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES) - 38
Marguerite Moreau (ex-Monica, LIFE AS WE KNOW IT) - 36
Sara Paxton (ex-Raina, THE BEAUTIFUL LIFE; ex-Young Sheridan, PASSIONS ) - 28
Casey Jon Deidrick (Chad, DAYS OF OUR LIVES; ex-Gabe, EMPIRE) - 26

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you would like to submit a piece of soap opera history for this daily column, please email it to editor@welovesoaps.com.