Today in Soap Opera History (September 1)

1976: Ryan's Hope's Jack was annoyed with Little John.
1981: The Edge of Night's Nadine called out her daughter, Raven.
1981: General Hospital's Heather defended herself to Burt.
2004: As the World Turns' Barbara was determined to get her son.

"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...

1966: On Dark Shadows, Joe Haskell (Joel Crothers) told Carolyn Stoddard (Nancy Barrett) about David Collins' crystal ball's prediction. Burke Devline (Mitchell Ryan) investigated Bill Malloys' disappearance, certain that he had incriminating evidence against Roger Collins and Sam Evans (David Ford). Sam believed everyone in the entire town was headed towards death.



1975: On Another World, Alice Frame's (Susan Harney) adoption of Sally (Cathy Greene) was approved.

1976: On Ryan's Hope, Jack Fenelli (Michael Levin) was annoyed while Little John was staying with him and Mary (Kate Mulgrew).



1977: On All My Children, Chuck Tyler (Richard Van Vleet) and Donna Beck (Candice Earley) were married by a justice of the peace.

Thanks to Scott for sending in the item above.

1980: On The Edge of Night, Nadine Scott (Dorothy Stinnette) confronted her daughter, Raven Swift (Sharon Gabet), with the information she learned from Mr. Peabody, and told her she was changing her will.



1981: On General Hospital, Burt Ramsey (Bob Hastings) warned Heather Webber (Robin Mattson) to leave Anne Logan (Susan Pratt) alone. Heather felt Burt was determined to pin Diana Taylor's murder on her.



1986: Kristen Meadows debuted as Victoria Lane on Santa Barbara.



1989: On Guiding Light, Blake Lindsey (Sherry Stringfield) was not happy when she saw Phillip Spaulding (Grant Aleksander) on TV asking for information about the missing, not dead, Beth Raines.



1989: Young female fans tossed panties and bras on stage during a pop concert by The Young and the Restless heartthrob Michael Damian in Dubuque, Iowa. Police reported more than 60 people were slightly hurt when some in the crowd of four-thousand toppled barriers.

1993: Jason Brooks debuted as Peter Blake on Days of our Lives.

1994: "Soap Opera : The Inside Story of Procter & Gamble" was released by Simon & Schuster. the book, by Wall Street Journal reporter Alecia Swasy, told the chilling story of life within P&G.

1998: On Port Charles, Lucy Coe (Lynn Herring) was stuck in restraints at the mental hospital, mistaken for Victor Collins (Nicholas Pryor), who had escaped and was with Kevin Collins (Jon Lindstrom) dressed as a women.



2000: On All My Children, Marian Colby and Opal Cortlandt (Jill Larson) held a seance to try to contact Stuart Chandler.

2003: Judi Evans made her first appearance on Days of our Lives as Bonnie.

2004: On The Bold and the Beautiful, Ridge Forrester surprised Brooke Logan with an impromptu honeymoon celebration in their bedroom by feeding her foods from exotic locations.

2004: On As the World Turns, Barbara Ryan (Colleen Zenk) drove her car through a hospital wall, pulled a gun on Hal Munson (Benjamin Hendrickson) and some other cops, and demanded to have "her son."



Celebrating a birthday today are:
Joyce Holden (ex-Marie, Guiding Light) - 86
Bill Moneymaker (ex-Larry, Days of our Lives) - 78
Lily Tomlin (ex-Roberta, Desperate Housewives) - 77
Philece Sampler (ex-Donna, Another World; ex-Lacey, Rituals; ex-Renee, Days of our Lives) - 63
Beau Billingslea (ex-Trent, The Young and the Restless) - 63
Sachi Parker (ex-Lucy, Santa Barbara) - 60
Kevin McClatchy (ex-Nick, Another World; ex-Evan, General Hospital; ex-Vinnie, Guiding Light; ex-Brian, One Life to Live) - 53
Ricardo Chavira (ex-Carlos, Desperate Housewives) - 45
Burn Gorman (ex-Trask, Revenge; ex-Ben, Coronation Street) - 42
Scott Speedman (ex-Sam, Last Resort) - 41
Adrienne Wilkinson (Adrienne, Venice; ex-Lois, Undressed) - 39
Lara Pulver (ex-Claudine, True Blood) - 36
Ashley Holliday (ex-Melissa, Hollywood Heights) - 31

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