Celebrate DAYS's 60th Anniversary With a Trip Down Memory Lane

The sands have been flowing through the hourglass for six decades as Days of Our Lives celebrates its 60th anniversary on November 8. Created by husband and wife Ted and Betty Corday, DAYS premiered on NBC back in 1965 and aired its final episode on the network on September 9, 2022, moving to the streaming service Peacock on September 12, 2022, to continue telling its stories uninterrupted.

Small Town, Big Drama

Set in the fictional Midwestern city of Salem, USA, the drama on DAYS began centered around the Horton family, and over the years, additional clans have joined the mix, like the DiMeras, the Kiriakises, and the Carvers. Actors like Frances Reid (Alice), Macdonald Carey (Tom), Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie), Bill Hayes (Doug), Suzanne Rogers (Maggie), Deidre Hall (Marlena), and Drake Hogestyn (John) played their beloved characters for decades.

Through the ’60s and ’70s, DAYS centered around family drama, but in the ’80s, the focus turned to adventure storylines featuring supercouples like Bo (Peter Reckell) and Hope (Kristian Alfonso) and Patch (Stephen Nichols) and Kayla (Mary Beth Evans). Wild tales like 1990’s “The Cruise of Deception” and Vivian (Louise Sorel) burying Carly (Crystal Chappell) alive in 1993 led to the soap’s most infamous tale in 1994, when Marlena was possessed by the devil!

DAYS has also made its mark on pop culture more widely. In 1976, reel- and real-life duo Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth Hayes appeared on the cover of Time, while stars Alison Sweeney (Sami), Alfonso, Matthew Ashford (Jack), Roark Critchlow (Mike) and Kyle Lowder (Brady) all guest-starred in episodes of the NBC sitcom Friends when Matt LeBlanc’s character of Joey Tribbiani was cast as Dr. Drake Ramoray on a fictional version of the soap (and was even interviewed by Soap Opera Digest!).

Before DAYS moved from NBC to Peacock, two five-episode spinoff series titled Beyond Salem premiered on the streamer in 2021 and 2022. And in November 2021, Days of Our Lives: A Very Salem Christmas streamed on Peacock.

The cast and crew of DAYS have taken home numerous Daytime Emmy Awards over the decades, and the soap won Outstanding Drama Series three times — in 2013, 2015, and 2018. It has also earned a trio of Outstanding Drama Writing Team Emmys, taking the trophy in 2012, 2018, and 2022.

Join us for a look back at some memorable moments and beloved characters from Salem’s epic history in our special anniversary gallery.

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At the heart of DAYS upon its 1965 debut were the lovable Tom and Alice Horton (Macdonald Carey and Frances Reid). The patriarch and matriarch had one of the most rock-solid marriages in the history of soaps, with their love enduring until Tom passed away in 1994. Alice lived until 2010.

Gerald Smith/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank

This behind-the-scenes shot from the very beginning of DAYS's run shows the NBC camera taping a scene between Dick Colla's Tony Merritt and Maree Cheatham's Marie Horton. Though engaged to Tony when the soap debuted, Marie was heartbroken when he broke it off the night before their Thanksgiving wedding, and she later married his father, Craig Merritt.

Gary Null/NBCU Photo Bank

The Horton family circa 1971 included (clockwise from top l.) John Clarke as Mickey Horton, Macdonald Carey as Tom Horton, John Lupton as Thomas "Tommy" Horton, Jr., Edward Mallory as Bill Horton, Maree Cheatham as Marie Horton, Frances Reid as Alice Horton, and Patricia Barry as Adelaide "Addie" Horton Williams.

Fred Sabine/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank

When Mickey Horton suffered a stroke in 1973, he developed amnesia and found himself on a farm where he met Maggie Simmons (Suzanne Rogers). Going by the name of Marty Hansen, he soon fell for the young woman and they were married, though their idyllic life was shattered by the arrival of the Hortons and "Marty's" wife, Laura Spencer. Back in Salem, the two married for real.

NBC

In 1974, Bill Horton (Edward Mallory) and Laura Spencer Horton (Susan Flannery) wed. She had previously been wed to his brother Mickey, but Laura and Bill shared a son, Mike, who was conceived when Bill drunkenly raped Laura years prior (of which he had no memory). Laura had allowed Mickey to believe that he was Mike's father, and the paternity potboiler fueled years of drama. After tying the knot, Bill and Laura welcomed a daughter, Jennifer Rose Horton.

Ron Tom/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank

1975 saw the introduction of the first Black family on the show, the Grants: (clockwise from upper l.) Michael Dwight Smith as Danny Grant, Lawrence Cook as Paul Grant, Ketty Lester as Helen Grant, and Tina Andrews as Valerie Grant.

Ron Tom/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank

It was a glorious affair when supercouple Julie Olson (Susan Seaforth Hayes) and Doug Williams (Bill Hayes) finally made it to the altar in 1976. Her bridal party consisted of (from l.) Rebecca LeClair (Brooke Bundy), Maggie Horton, Laura Horton (Rosemary Forsyth), and Amanda Peters (Mary Frann). Standing up for the groom at the ceremony were (from l.) Robert LeClair (Robert Clary), Bill Horton (Edward Mallory), Greg Peters (Peter Brown), Tommy Horton (John Lupton), and David Banning (Richard Guthrie).

NBC/NBCU Photo Bank

DAYS cast photo circa 1978. Top row (from l.): Marty Davich (DAYS composer), Michael Dwight Smith (Danny), Rose Fonseca (Valerie), Don Frabotta (Dave), Frederic Downs (Hank), Eileen Barnett (Brooke), John Lupton (Tommy), Stewart Bradley (Lt. Danton), and William H. Bassett (Walter). Second row (from l.): Francine York (Lorraine), Tracey Bregman (Donna), Suzanne Zenor (Margo), Fran Ryan (Rosie), Mary Frann (Amanda), Joseph Gallison (Neil), Kay Stevens (Jeri), Robert Clary (Robert), and Kate Woodville (Marie). Third row (from l.): Elaine Princi (Kate), Cindy Fisher (Patti), Stephen Manley (Billy), Jed Allan (Don), Deidre Hall (Marlena), Wesley Eure (Mike), Edward Mallory (Bill), Bill Hayes (Doug), and Richard Guthrie (David). Front row (From l.): Mark Tapscott (Bob), Margaret Mason (Linda), Suzanne Rogers (Maggie), Martha Nix (Janice), John Clarke (Mickey), Macdonald Carey (Tom), Frances Reid (Alice), Natasha Ryan (Hope), Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie), and Andrea Hall (Samantha).

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The arrival of Stefano DiMera (Joseph Mascolo) in 1982 ushered in a whole new Salem era as one of daytime's most infamous villains began his decades-long reign of terror (and impressive streak of returning from the dead, earning him the nickname The Phoenix).

Herb Ball/NBCU Photo Bank

Cop Roman Brady (Wayne Northrop) and psychiatrist Marlena Evans (Deidre Hall) tied the knot in 1983, despite the best efforts of villainous Alex Marshall, who sent assassins after the groom! First, Roman thwarted the killer at the tuxedo shop, and then Alex planted another in the church choir loft during the ceremony! Despite the interruptions, the couple were married, though Marlena went on the honeymoon with her ex-husband, Don Craig, in disguise while Roman continued his quest to bring down Stefano.

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Hope Williams (Kristian Alfonso) reluctantly agreed to marry sleazy district attorney Larry Welch (Andrew Masset, c.) in 1984 even though the man she truly loved was Bo Brady. On her wedding day, Bo memorably charged into the church and swooped Hope away before the ceremony. When Larry lifted the veil concealing the face of his "bride," he discovered that it wasn't Hope, but rather Bo's pal Howie Hoffsteder (Stanley Brock)!

Gary Null/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank

When Victor Kiriakis (John Aniston) arrived in Salem in 1985, Caroline Brady (Peggy McCay) was happily married to Shawn Brady and wanted her past romance with Victor kept quiet — especially the fact that her son, Bo Brady, was actually his!

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In 1985, supercouple Bo Brady (Peter Reckell) and Hope said, “I do” at St. Mary’s Church in the Cotswolds in England, before family, friends and nobility. Bo even serenaded his bride, who wore a silk satin and silk tulle gown with a 10-foot train. The occasion was marred by a wedding-crashing assassin and Mr. and Mrs. Brady had to spend their wedding night in jail (for stealing a milk truck and a horse). Fun fact: Real-life DAYS fans were tapped to fill the pews of the Los Angeles church where the ceremony was taped.

Gary Null/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank

Despite Shane Donovan's (Charles Shaughnessy) ISA partner, Gillian, attempting to kill the bride, he and Kimberly Brady (Patsy Pease) were married in a beautiful ceremony in 1987. In attendance were (from l.) Shawn (Frank Parker), Carrie (Christie Clark), Caroline, Calliope (Arleen Sorkin), Kayla (Mary Beth Evans), Neil (Joseph Gallison), "Roman" — later revealed to be John (Drake Hogestyn), Alice, and Tom, with little Sami (Ashleigh Sterling) and Eric (Bradley Hallock) down in front.

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Steve Johnson (Stephen Nichols) and Kayla Brady's (Mary Beth Evans) first storybook wedding took place in 1988 aboard a yacht. The bride, who was temporarily deaf and mute, miraculously recovered her ability to hear and speak mid-vows. Beamed Kayla, "I dreamed of being in love. I never dreamed of sharing my very soul. I dreamed of sharing my thoughts, but I never dreamed that someone could hear me without words.”

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When Wayne Northrop exited the show in 1984, the role of Roman was recast with Drake Hogestyn — but when the OG Roman and Marlena, who had both been presumed dead — resurfaced in 1991, Hogestyn's Roman turned out to be a brainwashed John Black, and Marlena was torn between the two great loves of her life. In the end, she chose John.

Alice S. Hall/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank

After Jack Deveraux (Matthew Ashford) and Jennifer Horton (Melissa Reeves) became man and wife in 1991, they honeymooned in Hollywood where a con man named Hawk managed to steal their fortune and left the newlyweds penniless. Not the best start to a marriage!

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In one of the show's most infamous and outlandish tales, Marlena was possessed by the devil and wreaked serious havoc from 1994-95, when John successfully performed an exorcism to vanquish Satan from Salem.

Chris Haston/NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection

Vivian (Louise Sorel, r.) went to extremes to steal Victor away from Kate (Lauren Koslow) in the mid-'90s, digging up her scandalous past to ruin her, stealing Victor's sperm to bear his child, Philip, and poisoning a pilot so Kate's plane would crash!

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In 1997, John thought he was tying the knot with Kristen (Eileen Davidson), but at their Elvis-themed nuptials, the woman who walked down the aisle was actually her look-alike, Susan Banks! Her status as an impostor was exposed at the reception when Laura Horton accidentally knocked into Susan, sending her false teeth flying across the room in slow motion (and landing in Vivian Alamain's glass)!

JOHN PASCHAL/JPI

Another 1997 wedding that memorably didn't go as planned was that of Sami Brady (Alison Sweeney, r.) to Austin Reed, her sister Carrie's (Christie Clark) truelove. Just as Sami and Austin were going to say, "I do," Carrie burst into the church with proof that Sami had been lying to Austin about being the father of her son, Will! (Lucas Horton was the true bio dad.) Carrie punched her sister in the face for her misdeed and soon married Austin herself.

JOHN PASCHAL/JPI

Salem's teen scene was poppin' in 2000, represented by (top row, l. to r.) Jay Kenneth Johnson as Philip, Jason Cook as Shawn, Aaron Van Wagner as Jason as well as (bottom row, l. to r.) Nadia Bjorlin as Chloe, Kirsten Storms as Belle, Farah Fath as Mimi and Heather Olson as Jan.

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Long-running couple Abe Carver (James Reynolds) and Lexie Brooks Carver (Renee Jones) had much to celebrate in 2003 when their son, Theo, was born ... especially when he proved not to be the biological child of Abe's other son, Brandon, with whom Lexie had strayed.

Mitchell Haaseth / © NBC / Courtesy: Everett Collection

The DiMera men in 2008: Stefano and his sons, EJ (James Scott, l.) and Tony (Thaao Penghlis).

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Kristen, hungry for revenge against John and Marlena, seduced and nearly married John's son by the late Isabella, Brady, in 2013. But on the wedding day, she was busted for having raped Eric (Greg Vaughan, l.) as a horrified Sami and EJ looked on.

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In the late 2010s, many fans were enthralled by the unexpected pairing of "Cin" — Bo and Hope's daughter, Ciara (Victoria Konefal), and one-time serial killer Ben Weston (Robert Scott Wilson).

XJJohnson/jpistudios.com

An enduring Salem love story came to a heartbreaking end in 2022 when Chad DiMera's (Billy Flynn) wife, Abigail Deveraux (Marci Miller), was brutally murdered. The killer turned out to be Clyde Weston.

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In 2022, another one of Sami's weddings was over before it began — this time because she learned via Chad that the true identity of her kidnapper was none other than her groom, Lucas!

XJJohnson/jpistudios.com

In 2024, when Doug Williams passed away following the real-life loss of portrayer Bill Hayes, many faces from Salem's past came to pay their respects to his brokenhearted widow, Julie.

XJJohnson/jpistudios.com

In a bittersweet convergence of events in 2025, Bo emerged from a years-long coma and reunited with his beloved Hope, but Marlena was widowed when her dear husband, John, passed away.

Days of Our Lives

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Celebrate Days of Our Lives’s 60th Anniversary With a Trip Down Memory Lane

Small Town, Big Drama

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