Today in Soap Opera History (September 17)

2010: CBS aired the final episode of As the World Turns.

"The best prophet of the future is the past."
― Lord Byron

"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...

1959: On The Right to Happiness, Carolyn Allen's (Claudia Morgan) husband Lee needed (Les Damon) to make a sudden business trip to New York, which fed into her insecurity that Lee's priority was his beautiful widowed client, Sharon (Claire Niesen).

1962: Rex Ingram became the first African American featured on a daytime soap opera in a contract role when he appeared as an ordained minister named Victor Graham in The Brighter Day. Sadly, the soap aired its final episode 11 days later on September 28.

Today in Soap Opera History (September 17)

2010: CBS aired the final episode of As the World Turns.

"History is a vast early warning system."
― Norman Cousins

"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...

1959: On The Right to Happiness, Carolyn Allen's (Claudia Morgan) husband Lee needed (Les Damon) to make a sudden business trip to New York, which fed into her insecurity that Lee's priority was his beautiful widowed client, Sharon (Claire Niesen).

1962: Rex Ingram became the first African American featured on a daytime soap opera in a contract role when he appeared as an ordained minister named Victor Graham in The Brighter Day. Sadly, the soap aired its final episode 11 days later on September 28.

Today in Soap Opera History (September 17)

2010: CBS aired the final episode of As the World Turns.

"More and more, I tend to read history. I often find it more up to date than the daily newspapers."
― Joe Murray

"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...

1959: On The Right to Happiness, Carolyn Allen's (Claudia Morgan) husband Lee needed (Les Damon) to make a sudden business trip to New York, which fed into her insecurity that Lee's priority was his beautiful widowed client, Sharon (Claire Niesen).

1962: Rex Ingram became the first African American featured on a daytime soap opera in a contract role when he appeared as an ordained minister named Victor Graham in The Brighter Day. Sadly, the soap aired its final episode 11 days later on September 28.

Today in Soap Opera History (September 17)

2010: CBS aired the final episode of As the World Turns.

"History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again."
― Maya Angelou

"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...

1959: On The Right to Happiness, Carolyn Allen's (Claudia Morgan) husband Lee needed (Les Damon) to make a sudden business trip to New York, which fed into her insecurity that Lee's priority was his beautiful widowed client, Sharon (Claire Niesen).

1962: Rex Ingram became the first African American featured on a daytime soap opera in a contract role when he appeared as an ordained minister named Victor Graham in The Brighter Day. Sadly, the soap aired its final episode 11 days later on September 28.

Today in Soap Opera History (September 17)

2010: CBS aired the final episode of As the World Turns.

"History cannot give us a program for the future, but it can give us a fuller understanding of ourselves, and of our common humanity, so that we can better face the future."
― Robert Penn Warren

"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...

1959: On The Right to Happiness, Carolyn's (Claudia Morgan) husband Lee needed (Les Damon) to make a sudden business trip to New York, which fed into her insecurity that Lee's priority was his beautiful widowed client, Sharon (Claire Niesen).

1962: Rex Ingram became the first African American featured on a daytime soap opera in a contract role when he appeared as an ordained minister named Victor Graham in The Brighter Day. Sadly, the soap aired its final episode 11 days later on September 28.

Today in Soap Opera History (September 17)

2010: CBS aired the final episode of AS THE WORLD TURNS.

"History cannot give us a program for the future, but it can give us a fuller understanding of ourselves, and of our common humanity, so that we can better face the future."
― Robert Penn Warren

"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...

1959: On THE RIGHT TO HAPPINESS, Carolyn's (Claudia Morgan) husband Lee need (Les Damon) to make a sudden business trip to New York, which fed into her insecurity that Lee's priority was his beautiful widowed client, Sharon (Claire Niesen).

1962: Rex Ingram became the first African American featured on a daytime soap opera in a contract role when he appeared as an ordained minister named Victor Graham in THE BRIGHTER DAY. Sadly, the soap aired its final episode 11 days later on September 28.

Today in Soap Opera History (September 17)

On this date in...

1929: Future soap and Broadway actress Tresa Hughes (Emma, ANOTHER WORLD; Nurse Dumfrey, RYAN'S HOPE; Rose, FROM THESE ROOTS) was born. She died on July 24, 2011 at age 81.

1962: Rex Ingram became the first African American featured on a daytime soap opera in a contract role when he appeared as an ordained minister named Victor Graham in THE BRIGHTER DAY.  Sadly, the soap aired its final episode 11 days later on September 28.

1986: Camilla More debuted as Gillian Forrester in DAYS OF OUR LIVES.

2001: At the end of its first aired episode since the 9/11 attack, the cast of DAYS OF OUR LIVES sang "America The Beautiful."