Today in Soap Opera History (July 15)

"History is a gallery of pictures in which there are few originals and many copies."
- Alexis de Tocqueville

"Today in Soap Opera History" is a collection of the most memorable, interesting and influential events in the history of scripted, serialized programs. From birthdays and anniversaries to scandals and controversies, every day this column celebrates the soap opera in American culture.

On this date in...

1949: The final episode of John Haggart's A Woman to Remember aired on the DuMont Television Network.

1966: On Dark Shadows, the Collins family learned Roger had been in an accident.

1968: The Agnes Nixon daytime soap opera One Life to Live premiered on ABC. The original planned title for the series was Between Heaven and Hell. This was still the plan as of late April, and Don Wallace was expected to be the executive producer. The show aired on ABC until January 13, 2012. It premiered online via The OnLine Network on April 29, 2013, and ran for one season before being canceled again. Check out a montage of ABC opening sequences below.



1975: On Another World, Mac (Douglass Watson) visited Rachel (Victoria Wyndham) at Ada's (Constance Ford) house and implored her to come home, and to forgive him for doubting her fidelity after falling prey to the manipulations of his daughter Iris (Beverlee McKinsey). Later, a distraught Iris begged Mac not to sever their relationship, and Ada and Gil tried to convince Rachel to stay in Bay City.

1977: Soap opera spoof All That Glitters, from Norman Lear, aired for the final time after 65 episodes. Eileen Brennan, Greg Evigan, Lois Nettleton, Gary Sandy, Tim Thomerson, Linda Gray, Louise Shaffer and Jessica Walter were among the stars.



1981: On General Hospital, Bobbie (Jacklyn Zeman) thanked Noah (Rick Springfield) for taking care of her.



1983: On All My Children, Phoebe (Ruth Warrick) fretted over her "dreadful brawl" with Opal (Dorothy Lyman), and Opal took to the streets to make her case.



1992: Celeste Holm taped her last episode as Isabelle after being dismissed from Loving. She passed away exactly 20 years later on July 15, 2012, at age 95.

1996: On Another World, Gabe (John Bolger) ordered a forensics report on Yvette's body and learned the person who killed Yvette is the same one who committed the other murders. The same killer would murder Frankie Frame on August 19.

2002: On Passions, Beth accepted a marriage proposal from Luis (Galen Gering).



2005: Actress Lisa Lindgren died at age 45. She played Kathy Summers in General Hospital in the early 1980s.

Celebrating a birthday today:
Ken Kercheval (Cliff, Dallas; ex-Nick, Search for Tomorrow; ex-Archie, The Secret Storm) - 79
Judson Earney Scott (ex-Sacha, The Colbys; ex-Clay, One Life to Live; ex-Peter, General Hospital) - 62
Terry O'Quinn (ex-John, Lost; ex-Jerry, The Doctors) - 62
Anne Rose Brooks (ex-Stephanie, The Doctors; ex-Diana, Another World) - 51
Shari Headley (ex-Mimi, All My Children; ex-Heather, The Bold and the Beautiful; ex-Felicia, Guiding Light) - 50
Leonard Stabb (ex-Hart, Guiding Light; ex-Hunter, One Life to Live) - 50
Kristoff St. John (Neil, The Young and the Restless; ex-Adam, Generations) - 48
Stan Kirsch (ex-Carl, General Hospital) - 46
Scott Foley (Patrick, True Blood; ex-Henry, Grey's Anatomy) - 42
Brian Austin Green (ex-David, Beverly Hills, 90210; ex-Brian, Knots Landing) - 41
Lana Parrilla (Regina, Once Upon a Time; ex-Trina, Swingtown) - 37
Laura Benanti (ex-Carol-Lynne, The Playboy Club) - 35
Mishael Morgan (Hillary, The Young and the Restless) - 28
Tristan Wilds (ex-Dixon, 90210; ex-Michael, The Wire) - 25

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you have a tip on a bit of soap history on this date or future dates, let us know. Send an email to [email protected]