Today in Soap Opera History (December 1)

1967: Love is a Many Splendored Thing's Iris crashed her car.
1975: As the World Turns expanded to an hour.
1975: The Edge of Night premieres on a new network, ABC.
1994: One Life to Live's Viki and Sloan were ready to marry.

"The present contains nothing more than the past, and what is found in the effect is already in the cause."
― Henri Louis Bergson

"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...

1967: On As the World Turns, after receiving a call from his ex-wife, Lisa (Eileen Fulton), who sounded very sick, Bob Hughes (Don Hastings) prepared to go to her apartment and check on her. He convinced his father, Chris, not to mention anything to Bob's mother, Nancy, because it was probably nothing and Bob didn't want Nancy worrying. Arriving at Lisa's apartment, Bob was perplexed by her serious cough and did a routine examination on her which indicated she had pneumonia. Bob said it was imperative that Lisa get to the hospital for a thorough examination but she refused to leave the apartment. He couldn't understand why she refused to go to the hospital, but the reason became clear when Lisa told him she was pregnant. Bob was shocked by Lisa's news and couldn't understand why she would let herself become pregnant again. Bob arranged for Lisa to have a private room at the hospital and she reluctantly agreed. Meanwhile, Chris and Pa talked about the mystery behind Sandy's disappearance and whether she would show up for the holiday season.

1967: On Love is a Many Splendored Thing, Iris Donnelly (Leslie Charleson) crashed her car while arguing with Mark Elliott (Sam Wade).



1975: CBS aired the first 60-minute episode of As the World Turns, the first daytime soap opera on the "Eye Network" to expand from the half-hour format.

1975: The Edge of Night, which had aired on CBS since its 1956 premiere, debuted on ABC with a 90-minute special episode.



1980: On Another World, the jury reach a verdict in Rachel Cory's (Victoria Wyndham) trial.



Thanks to Jennifer for sending in the clip above.

1986: On Santa Barbara, Jane (Jane Sibbett) wanted to know why Caroline (Lenore Kasdorf) received a package from a private investigator.

1987: Brian Lane Green debuted as Alan Brand in Days of our Lives.

1987: On Santa Barbara, Julia Wainwright (Nancy Lee Grahn) told Mason Capwell (Lane Davies) she was transferring to Boston.

1994: On One Life to Live, Clint Buchanan (Clint Ritchie) arrived at the hospital as his ex-wife, Viki (Erika Slezak), was about to marry Sloan Carpenter (Roy Thinnes).



1997: On Another World, Tyrone Montgomery (Henry Simmons) searched for clues about his father.

1998: Michael Zaslow aired for the final time on One Life to Live as David Renaldi. He died 5 days later, on December 6, 1998.

1998: On Days of our Lives, Hope Brady (Gina) played the same song on the piano that Greta's mother played when she was 10 years old.

1999: On The Young and the Restless, Michael Baldwin (Christian LeBlanc) realized Diane Jenkins had Victor Newman's sperm. Vanessa Evigan debuted in the episode as Brittany Hodges (Lauren Woodland replaced her as Brittany in March 2000).

2006: On The Bold and the Beautiful, Stephanie Forrester (Susan Flannery) admitted to Eric (John McCook) and Taylor (Hunter Tylo) that she lied about the death of her mother. Taylor encouraged Stephanie to make amends with her mother. Stephanie called her sister, Pamela, but became nervous and quickly got off the phone. Pamela told their mother, Ann, that Stephanie called. After the call, Taylor tried to convince Stephanie to visit her mother in Chicago and confront her. Alley Mills and Betty White debuted in the episode as Pam and Ann Douglas.



2008: On All My Children, Annie Lavery (Melissa Claire Egan) was arrested at ConFusion in her bloody wedding gown for stabbing Erica Kane (Susan Lucci).



Thanks to Enrique for sending in the item above.

Celebrating a birthday today are:
Heather Lowe (ex-Suzanna, Days of our Lives; ex-Cynthia, The Young and the Restless) - 65
Pat Delaney (ex-Rachel, Days of our Lives; ex-Kathleen, General Hospital) - 58

Charlene Tilton (ex-Lucy, Dallas; ex-Francesca, DeVanity) - 57

Candace Bushnell (Former Executive Producer, The Carrie Diaries; Lipstick Jungle) - 57
Chip Albers (ex-Curtis, Loving; ex-Josh, All My Children; ex-Young Michael, Another World) - 53
Nestor Carbonell (ex-Richard, Lost) - 48
Golden Brooks (Ruby, Hart of Dixie) - 45
Emily Mortimer (MacKenzie, The Newsroom) - 44
Sandra P. Grant (ex-Rachel, One Life to Live)
Reign Edwards (Nicole, The Bold and the Beautiful) - 19

Emily McLaughlin, best known for her portrayal of nurse Jessie Brewer on General Hospital, was born on this day in 1930. She died on April 26, 1991.

EDITOR'S NOTE: If you would like to submit a soap history entry for this date or a future date, email [email protected].