Quiz

Many episodes of this show and other daytime television shows are believed to be lost forever. It was live until the 1960s, and many prior episodes exist as kinescopes (videotape was not invented until 1956). Procter & Gamble Productions did not begin archiving its shows until the late 1970s, believing there was no use for them after their initial airing. The original tapes were re-used.

When long-time cast member Charita Bauer died in 1985, it took a year of persistent audience demands to write an off-screen death for her character Bert, in 1986. When Michael Zaslow left after developing A.L.S., the audience did not like the actor who was cast as his replacement. Roger Thorpe was written off in 1997, but audience demands persisted for a proper tribute, especially after Zaslow's well-publicized death in 1998. Roger Thorpe was finally killed off in 2005, off-screen. Soap legend Mary Stuart, who joined the show in 1996, died in 2002. In 2006, her character, Meta Bauer, was sent on a vacation to Nova Scotia.

This show was the longest-running drama series in history. It began on radio, as "The Guiding Light", on January 25, 1937, and originally revolved around Reverend Dr. John Ruthledge (Arthur Peterson) and his congregation. CBS cancelled it in 1939, 1941, 1942, 1944, and 1946. Each time, letter-writing campaigns led to the show's return. It was on radio and television from June 30, 1952 to June 30, 1956, the actors and actresses had to perform scripts twice a day. Its first color broadcast was on September 11, 1967. The first thirty-minute broadcast was September 9, 1968. The first hour-long broadcast was November 7, 1977. The final episode aired September 18, 2009.

Recognized by the Guiness Book of World Records as the world longest-running soap opera.

In 1989, Michael Zaslow, who was killed off as Roger Thorpe in 1980, was asked to return to the show and play Alan Spaulding after Christopher Bernau died. Zaslow declined, saying he was too identified with the role of Roger. Producers wanted Zaslow back so badly they brought Roger back from the dead.