Today in Soap Opera History (June 8)

1981: Another World's Mac wanted to know if Sandy was his son.
1988: Santa Barbara's Tori was rushed into surgery after a car crash.
1999: All My Children's Adam knocked off Erica's mask.
2006: Guiding Light's Olivia made love with Frank.

"If you don't know history, then you don't know anything. You are a leaf that doesn't know it is part of a tree."
― Michael Crichton

"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...

1942: Clara, Lu and Em, one of radio's earliest network soap operas in 1930 (first on WGN then NBC Blue), was brought back by CBS Radio. CBS aired the show for 15 minutes three days a week at 11 a.m.

1981: As the World Turns returned to the 1:30 p.m. ET timeslot where it had been successful for many years (until February 1980 when CBS expanded The Young and the Restless to 60 minutes and pushed ATWT back a half hour). ATWT would remain in the 1:30 slot until March 20, 1987, the day of the Capitol series finale. The Bold and the Beautiful debuted in ATWT's old timeslot the following Monday.

1981: On Another World, Mac Cory (Douglass Watson) asked Sandy Alexander (Christopher Rich) if Sandy was his son.



1982: Bertie Higgins guest-starred and performed on Guiding Light.



Thanks to Jennifer for sending in the clip above.

1988: On Days of our Lives, Mike (Michael T. Weiss) and April (Lisa Howard) went on their first date.

1988: On The Bold and the Beautiful, Brooke Logan (Katherine Kelly Lang) and Ridge Forrester (Ronn Moss) got playful and romantic. Meanwhile, a perturbed Caroline Forrester (Joanna Johnson) told her insecure husband, Thorne (Clayton Norcross), to give her some space where his brother, Ridge, was concerned.

Thanks to FoxCrane for sending in the item above.

1988: On As the World Turns, John (Larry Bryggman) called Craig (Scott Bryce) with news about Margo, unaware Craig was with Tom (Scott Holmes).



1988: On Santa Barbara, Tori (Kristen Meadows) was rushed into surgery following her car crash.



1994: On The Young and the Restless, Traci (Beth Maitland) brought Colleen to see Brad (Don Diamont) in the hospital.

1995: On One Life to Live, Viki (Erika Slezak) began to wake up in the hospital and found Dorian (Robin Strasser) by her side.



1999: On All My Children, after Erica (Susan Lucci) taunted Adam (David Canary) with David's letter, Adam tried to take it away and accidentally knocked off Erica's mask.



1999: Matt Cedeno debuted as Brandon Walker in Days of our Lives.

1999: On One Life to Live, Nora (Hillary B. Smith) told Bo (Robert S. Woods) that he could still be a father.

2005: On As the World Turns, Jack (Michael Park) rescued Carly (Maura West) from a burning house.



2006: On Guiding Light, Frank (Frank Dicopoulos) asked Olivia (Crystal Chappell) to move in with him. She turned him down but they ended up making love.



Celebrating a birthday today are:
Millicent Martin (ex-Lili, Days of our Lives) - 82
Alan Scarfe (ex-Leo, One Life to Live) - 70
Bernard White (ex-Ric, General Hospital; ex-Angel, Santa Barbara; ex-Chava, Knots Landing) - 57
Frank Grillo (Alvey, Kingdom; ex-Hart, Guiding Light; ex-Nick, The Gates) - 53
Julianna Margulies (Alicia, The Good Wife) - 50
David Sutcliffe (ex-Christopher, Gilmore Girls) - 47
Kelli Williams (ex-Jackie, Army Wives) - 46
Michael Strickland (ex-Brad, Sunset Beach) - 45
Mark Feuerstein (ex-Loving) - 45
Eion Bailey (August, Once Upon a Time) - 40
Redaric Williams (ex-Tyler, The Young and the Restless) - 35
Jess Weixler (ex-Robyn, The Good Wife; ex-Caroline, Guiding Light) - 34
Josh Pence (ex-Tony, Revenge) - 34
Torrey DeVitto (Melissa, Pretty Little Liars; ex-Meredith, The Vampire Diaries; ex-Maggie, Army Wives) - 32

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