Today in Soap Opera History (November 29)

1985: General Hospital's Robert and Anna explained to Robin why
they hadn't told her the truth about being her parents.
1995: Stone Cates died. 2006: Sonny and Robin remember Stone
on the anniversary of his death. 2011: Robin talked to Stone
on the bridge.

"Most of us spend too much time on the last twenty-four hours and too little on the last six thousand years."
― Will Durant

"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...

1946: The Guiding Light aired for the final time on NBC Radio. CBS Radio picked up the show and began airing new episodes on June 2, 1947.

1968: On Dark Shadows, just as Adam (Robert Rodan) was about to throw the switch that would have electrocuted Victoria (Betsy Durkin), Barnabas (Jonathan Frid) shot him.

1969: Robert Milli debuted as Wayne Addison in Another World. In the episode, Wayne told Bernice (Janis Young) it would take time to swindle Steve. Ada (Constance Ford) and Ernie (Harry Bellaver) were married (offscreen) that day.

1979: On As the World Turns, pressure mounted on Jay (Dennis Cooney).



1982: Debbie Lytton aired for the final time as Melissa Anderson in Days of our Lives.

1984: On The Edge of Night, Calvin (Irving Allen Lee) pressured Didi (Mariann Aalda) to have a baby.



1985: On Days of our Lives, Alice (Frances Reid), Marlena (Deidre Hall), Melissa (Lisa Trusel) and Jennifer (Melissa Reeves, then Melissa Brennan) returned from shopping on the day after Thanksgiving.



1985: On General Hospital, Robert (Tristan Rogers) and Anna (Finola Hughes) talked to Robin (Kimberly McCullough) about being her parents, and why they didn't tell her the truth before.



1989: Gregory Burke debuted as Ben Reade in Guiding Light.

1989: On Another World, Donna (Anna Stuart) and Michael (Kale Brown) were given custody of Mikey.

1991: On Days of our Lives, Shane (Charles Shaughnessy) forgave Kayla (Mary Beth Evans) for keeping the truth about Jeannie's (now known as Theresa) paternity from him.

1994: Cynthia Watros debuted on Guiding Light as Annie Dutton.

1995: On General Hospital, Stone Cates (Michael Sutton) died after asking Robin to stand in the light by the window so he could see her.



Read our interview with Michael Sutton here. Check out our interviews with former GH executive producer Wendy Riche here and head writer Claire Labine here.

1995: On All My Children, Charlie Brent (Christopher Lawford) asked Cecily Davidson (Rosa Nevin) to marry him.



2006: On General Hospital, Robin and Sonny (Maurice Benard) reminisced on the anniversary of Stone's death.



2011: On General Hospital, Robin visited the bridge to talk with Stone, and told him there was so much she wasn't going to get to see.



Celebrating a birthday today are:
Jerry Lawler (WWE/WWF) - 65
John Ashton (ex-Mickey, Doctors; ex-Cahill, EastEnders) - 64
Tom Wright (ex-Eugene, All My Children; ex-Colt, Search for Tomorrow) - 62
Jeff Fahey (ex-Frank, Lost; ex-Gary, Santa Barbara; ex-Gary, One Life to Live) - 62
Charles Grant (ex-Grant, The Bold and the Beautiful; ex-Evan, Another World; ex-Preacher, The Edge of Night; ex-Connor, Santa Barbara) - 57
Sharon Smyth (ex-Sarah, Dark Shadows; ex-Susan, Search for Tomorrow) - 57
Elizabeth Storm (ex-Katherine, Passions; ex-Hollis, Santa Barbara; ex-Janice, Days of our Lives; ex-Leslie, The Young and the Restless) - 56
Kim Delaney (ex-Claudia Joy, Army Wives; ex-Jenny, All My Children) - 53
Jane Cameron (ex-Nancy, Another World)
David Lambert (Brandon, The Fosters) - 22

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