Today in Soap Opera History (March 17)

1971: Erika Slezak debuted as Victoria Lord on One Life to Live.

"History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into d ifferent and unexpected images."
― Anselm Kiefer

"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...

1971: Erika Slezak debuted as Victoria Lord on One Life to Live. The role had been originated by Gillian Spencer in 1968, then assumed by Joanne Dorian starting in 1970. Slezak played the role for 41 years on ABC, and one additional season when show aired online in 2013.

1975: Tom O'Rourke (who would later become Guiding Light's Justin Marler) auditioned for (and landed) a one day gig as a construction boss on Search for Tomorrow. Read about it here.

1980: On The Edge of Night, April Cavanaugh (Terry Davis) was devastated after being told Draper had died in a train crash.

Today in Soap Opera History (March 17)

1971: Erika Slezak debuted as Victoria Lord 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...

1971: Erika Slezak debuted as Victoria Lord on One Life to Live. The role had been originated by Gillian Spencer in 1968, then assumed by Joanne Dorian starting in 1970. Slezak played the role for 41 years on ABC, and one additional season when show aired online in 2013.

1975: Tom O'Rourke (who would later become Guiding Light's Justin Marler) auditioned for (and landed) a one day gig as a construction boss on Search for Tomorrow. Read about it here.

1980: On The Edge of Night, April Cavanaugh (Terry Davis) was devastated after being told Draper had died in a train crash.

Today in Soap Opera History (March 17)

1971: Erika Slezak debuted as Victoria Lord on One Life to Live.

"All true histories contain instruction; though, in some, the treasure may be hard to find, and when found, so trivial in quantity that the dry, shrivelled kernel scarcely compensates for the trouble of cracking the nut."
― Anne Brontë in "Agnes Grey"

"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...

1971: Erika Slezak debuted as Victoria Lord on One Life to Live. The role had been originated by Gillian Spencer in 1968 then played by Joanne Dorian starting in 1970. Slezak played the role for 41 years on ABC and the one season the show aired online in 2013.

1975: Tom O'Rourke (who would later become Guiding Light's Justin Marler) auditioned for (and landed) a one day gig as a construction boss on Search for Tomorrow. Read about it here.

1980: On The Edge of Night, April Cavanaugh (Terry Davis) was devastated after being told Draper had died in a train crash.

Today in Soap Opera History (March 17)

1971: Erika Slezak debuted as Victoria Lord on One Life to Live.

"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...

1971: Erika Slezak debuted as Victoria Lord on One Life to Live. The role had been originated by Gillian Spencer in 1968 then played by Joanne Dorian starting in 1970. Slezak played the role for 41 years on ABC and the one season the show aired online in 2013.

1975: Tom O'Rourke (who would later become Guiding Light's Justin Marler) auditioned for (and landed) a one day gig as a construction boss on Search for Tomorrow. Read about it here.

1980: On The Edge of Night, April Cavanaugh (Terry Davis) was devastated after being told Draper had died in a train crash.

Today in Soap Opera History (March 17)

1971: Erika Slezak debuted as Victoria Lord on One Life to Live.

"Mankind are so much the same, in all times and places, that history informs us of nothing new or strange in this particular. Its chief use is only to discover the constant and universal principles of human nature."
― David Hume

"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...

1971: Erika Slezak debuted as Victoria Lord on One Life to Live. The role had been originated by Gillian Spencer in 1968 then played by Joanne Dorian starting in 1970. Slezak played the role for 41 years on ABC and the one season the show aired online in 2013.

1975: Tom O'Rourke (who would later become Guiding Light's Justin Marler) auditioned for (and landed) a one day gig as a construction boss on Search for Tomorrow. Read about it here.

1980: On The Edge of Night, April Cavanaugh (Terry Davis) was devastated after being told Draper had died in a train crash.

Today in Soap Opera History (March 17)

1971: Erika Slezak debuted as Victoria Lord on ONE LIFE TO LIVE.

"There is no present or future, only the past happening over and over again - now."
- Eugene O'Neill

"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...

1971: Erika Slezak debuted as Victoria Lord on ONE LIFE TO LIVE.

1975: Tom O'Rourke (who would later become GUIDING LIGHT's Justin Marler) auditioned for (and landed) a one day gig as a construction boss on SEARCH FOR TOMORROW. Read about it here.

1980: On THE EDGE OF NIGHT, April Cavanaugh (Terry Davis) was devastated after being told Draper had died in a train crash.

Today in Soap Opera History (March 17)

On this date in...

1971: Erika Slezak debuted as Victoria Lord on ONE LIFE TO LIVE. Watch the WE LOVE SOAPS TV episode from last year where OLTL celebrated her 40th anniversary.

1975: Tom O'Rourke (who would later become GUIDING LIGHT's Justin Marler) auditioned for (and landed) a one day gig as a construction boss on SEARCH FOR TOMORROW. Read about it here.

1980: On THE EDGE OF NIGHT, after breaking the news to April of Draper's death, Mike and Nancy learned Nola Madisson had confessed to Margo Dorn's murder.