Today in Soap Opera History (February 5)

1968: Dark Shadows' Natalie was upset to see Josette's ring.
1976: Ryan's Hope's Faith failed to escape.
1996: Guiding Light's Lucy and Alan-Michael were trapped.
2003: Bree Williamson debuted as Jessica on One Life to Live.

"Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times. This arises from the fact that they are produced by men who ever have been, and ever shall be, animated by the same passions, and thus they necessarily have the same results."
― Machiavelli

"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...

1940: Frank and Anne Hummert's radio soap opera Amanda of Honeymoon Hill premiered on the Blue Network. The show moved to CBS in 1942, and ran until April 26, 1946. The story followed the travails of the beautiful Charity Amanda Dyke Leighton (Joy Hathaway), who lived on Honeymoon Hill in Virginia with her husband, wealthy Southerner Edward Leighton (Boyd Crawford).

1958: On The Edge of Night, Harris told Martin (Henderson Forsythe) more hot cars came in that needed converting.

1968: On Dark Shadows, Natalie (Grayson Hall) visited Victoria Winters (Alexandra Moltke) at the Collinsport jail and begged her to end the spell she believed had been cast over Josette. Victoria told Natalie that according to the book Josette (Kathryn Leigh Scott) would jump from Widow's Hill. One of the events leading up to that jump was the loss of a ring, and as Victoria described the ring Natalie told her that Josette did not own such a ring. Later, Natalie panicked when she saw Barnabas' ring on Josette's hand.



1970: Bill Hayes taped his first episode of Days of our Lives as Doug Williams. The episode aired on February 18, 1970.

1975: On Another World, Jim (Hugh Marlowe) and Barbara (Roberta Maxwell) wondered why Iris (Beverlee McKinsey) wasn't enthusiastic about her father's wedding.

1976: On Ryan's Hope, Kenneth caught Faith (Faith Catlin) before she had a chance to escape. Startled, Faith fell backwards down the stairs.



Thanks to Jennifer for sending in this item.

1980: John Wesley Shipp debuted on Guiding Light as Kelly Nelson.

1982: Michael Woods debuted in the role of Mark Wheeler on Texas replacing Ernie Garrett.

1987: On General Hospital, Alan Quartermaine (Stuart Damon) was upset with Monica (Leslie Charleson) for not fulfilling her duties as a mother.



1991: On Another World, on the witness stand during her trial for attempted murder, Marley Hudson (Anne Heche) admitted that Jake McKinnon raped her the night he was shot.



1992: On The Young and the Restless, Sheila (Kimberlin Brown) seduced a passed out Scott (Peter Barton)

1995: On All My Children, the jury was back with a verdict in Noah's (Keith Hamilton Cobb) murder trial.



1996: On Guiding Light, Roger (Michael Zaslow) didn't believe Hart after Hart told him that he slept with Roger's wife, Dinah. Elsewhere, Brent told Alan and Buzz (Justin Deas) about the bomb he set up where he was holding Lucy and Alan-Michael.



Thanks to Na'Vell for sending in the clip above.

2003: On One Life to Live, Bo and Gabrielle ran into Viki (Erika Slezak) at the airport, and their flights were all canceled. Bree Williamson debuted as Jessica Buchanan in the episode.



Thanks to Enrique for sending in the item above.

2008: Julie Pinson aired for the final time as Billie Reed on Days of our Lives.

2010: On The Bold and the Beautiful, Ridge Forrester (Ronn Moss) told a hospitalized Hope Logan (Kim Matula) his feelings for her had nothing to do with DNA, and that he loved her as much as his biological children.



Celebrating a birthday today are:
Stuart Damon (ex-Alan, General Hospital; ex-Jim, Days of our Lives, ex-Ralph, As the World Turns) - 81
Laura Linney (ex-Mary Ann, Tales of the City) - 54
David Chisum (ex-Miles, One Life to Live; ex-Bret, Sunset Beach) - 47
Diego Serrano (ex-Diego, The Young and the Restless; ex-Tomas, Another World) - 44
Crystal Hunt (ex-Stacey, One Life to Live; ex-Lizzie, Guiding Light) - 33
Brittany Allen (ex-Marissa, All My Children) - 32
Darren Criss (ex-Blaine, Glee; ex-Josh, Eastwick) - 31
Jeremy Sumpter (ex-J.D., Friday Night Lights) - 29
Darnell Kirkwood (Jordan, The Young and the Restless)

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