Today in Soap Opera History (August 14)

1945: As word spread about the end of World War II, listeners were glued to the radio for updates.

"History speaks to artists. It changes the artist's thinking and is constantly reshaping it into different 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...

1945: President Harry S. Truman announced that Japan had surrendered to the Allies (World War II). Thousands thronged into the streets throughout the United States to celebrate V-J Day. The official ratification of the surrender didn’t take place until September 2, in Tokyo Bay aboard the USS Missouri.

1945: On Pepper Young's Family, Harry, Betty, Pepper (Mason Adams) and Mrs. Green discussed Harry and Betty's upcoming marriage. Since the kids didn't want to wait, they went off once they received Pepper and Mrs. Green's permission.

1945: On Ma Perkins, Mathilda Pendleton (Beverly Younger) dropped by Ma's (Virginia Payne) and wanted to know all about Jeff and Stella Carlon (Marilou Neumayer). Gary Curtis (Rye Pillsbury) confronted Stella, wanting to know what had been troubling her recently.

Today in Soap Opera History (August 14)

As word spread about the end of World War II, listeners were
glued to the radio for updates.

"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...

1945: President Harry S. Truman announced that Japan had surrendered to the Allies (World War II). Thousands thronged into the streets throughout the United States to celebrate V-J Day. The official ratification of the surrender didn’t take place until September 2, in Tokyo Bay aboard the USS Missouri.

1945: On Pepper Young's Family, Harry, Betty, Pepper (Mason Adams) and Mrs. Green discussed Harry and Betty's upcoming marriage. Since the kids didn't want to wait, they went off once they received Pepper and Mrs. Green's permission.

1945: On Ma Perkins, Mathilda Pendleton (Beverly Younger) dropped by Ma's (Virginia Payne) and wanted to know all about Jeff and Stella Carlon (Marilou Neumayer). Gary Curtis (Rye Pillsbury) confronted Stella, wanting to know what had been troubling her recently.

Today in Soap Opera History (August 14)

As word spread about the end of World War II, listeners were
glued to the radio for updates.

"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...

1945: President Harry S. Truman announced that Japan had surrendered to the Allies (World War II). Thousands thronged into the streets throughout the United States to celebrate V-J Day. The official ratification of the surrender didn’t take place until September 2, in Tokyo Bay aboard the USS Missouri.

1945: On Pepper Young's Family, Harry, Betty, Pepper (Mason Adams) and Mrs. Green discussed Harry and Betty's upcoming marriage. Since the kids didn't want to wait, they went off once they received Pepper and Mrs. Green's permission.

1945: On Ma Perkins, Mathilda Pendleton (Beverly Younger) dropped by Ma's (Virginia Payne) and wanted to know all about Jeff and Stella Carlon (Marilou Neumayer). Gary Curtis (Rye Pillsbury) confronted Stella, wanting to know what had been troubling her recently.

Today in Soap Opera History (August 14)

As word spread about the end of World War II, listeners were
glued to the radio for updates.

"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...

1945: President Harry S. Truman announced that Japan had surrendered to the Allies (World War II). Thousands thronged into the streets throughout the United States to celebrate V-J Day. The official ratification of the surrender didn’t take place until September 2, in Tokyo Bay aboard the USS Missouri.

1945: On Pepper Young's Family, Harry, Betty, Pepper (Mason Adams) and Mrs. Green discussed Harry and Betty's upcoming marriage. Since the kids didn't want to wait, they went off once they received Pepper and Mrs. Green's permission.

1945: On Ma Perkins, Mathilda Pendleton (Beverly Younger) dropped by Ma's (Virginia Payne) and wanted to know all about Jeff and Stella Carlon (Marilou Neumayer). Gary Curtis (Rye Pillsbury) confronted Stella, wanting to know what had been troubling her recently.

Today in Soap Opera History (August 14)

"To believe what has not occurred in history will not occur at all, is to argue disbelief in the dignity of man."
- Mahatma Gandhi

"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...

1945: On PEPPER YOUNG'S FAMILY, Harry, Betty, Pepper and Mrs. Green discussed Harry and Betty's upcoming wedding.

1945: On THE RIGHT TO HAPPINESS, Ed (Jerry Macy) wanted an explanation about why some of Emily's (Alice Yourman) dresses were missing.

1945: On WOMAN IN WHITE, Dr. Jonathan McNeil was visited by a student nurse who revealed that she was secretly married, and pregnant.

1945: On THE GUIDING LIGHT, after being censured for wrongdoing, Peter Manno (Jay Novello) decided not to run for office and handed in his resignation as assistant state attorney.

Announcer: "While all the world waits for news from Japan, life still goes on, as it does today for Pete Manno."

Today in Soap Opera History (August 14)

World War II news updates were frequent during
the radio soap operas on August 14, 1945.  By 7 p.m. ET.
Japan had surrendered and celebrations erupted around
the country, including including in Times Square where
this famous photo was taken, and later published in Life.

History is not melodrama, even if it usually reads like that.
-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...

1945: On PEPPER YOUNG'S FAMILY, Harry, Betty, Pepper and Mrs. Green discussed Harry and Betty's upcoming wedding.

1945: On THE RIGHT TO HAPPINESS, Ed (Jerry Macy) wanted an explanation about why some of Emily's (Alice Yourman) dresses were missing.

1945: On WOMAN IN WHITE, Dr. Jonathan McNeil was visited by a student nurse who revealed that she was secretly married, and pregnant.

1945: On THE GUIDING LIGHT, after being censured for wrongdoing, Peter Manno (Jay Novello) decided not to run for office and handed in his resignation as assistant state attorney.

Announcer: "While all the world waits for news from Japan, life still goes on, as it does today for Pete Manno."

FLASHBACK: Macdonald Carey 1966

A Soap Opera M.D. Again

Macdonald Carey Resumes Practice

By Cynthia Lowry
Associate Press
March 18, 1966

NEW YORK (AP) - Actors are considered by non-actors to be an artistic breed apart. They must be, or why would non-acting journalists constantly ask them why they took this part or that.

And actors, rising gracefully to a silly question, faithfully play the game - the story "excited" them, the part had great "potential." Few ever mention the crass necessity of a job and income, but this is belled by the high proportion of swimming pools and foreign sports cars owned by successful actors.