Five Things That Happened On April 23 In Soap History

In 1999 on General Hospital, Lucky Spencer’s loved ones— including (from l.) his half brother, Nikolas Cassadine (Tyler Christopher), his mother, Laura Spencer (Genie Francis), and his beloved girlfriend, Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) — attended his memorial service  after his presumed death in a fire. On the very same episode, he was revealed to be alive — but only to the audience.

In 2002 on Genera Hospital, Alexis Davis (Nancy Lee Grahn) and Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) hit the sheets, conceiving Kristina. Grahn said of the Sonny/Alexis (or "Sexis," to their fans) relationship in a 2023 interview with Soap Opera Digest, "It was sort of a classic setup: He’s a career criminal, and she’s a bleeding-heart defense attorney who thinks people should follow the rules. When they rolled with that, it gave Alexis some legs. My character was so different than the other women in Sonny’s life. It was such an anomaly, it was sort of refreshing in a way. It was never meant to be [a long-term pairing], but it turned out to be very popular, actually. It was enjoyable and interesting, and it had drama, and it was comedic. And I got Kristina out of it!"

In 2007, Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) and Sharon Newman (Sharon Case) said, “I do" on Young and Restless. After Sharon jokingly suggested that they get married that very night, Jack ran with the idea. Sharon went to ex-husband Nick's place to pick up their son, Noah, and informed Nick of her marital plans. Jack asked Noah to be his best man, and Noah was delighted by the offer. Noah also served as the wedding photographer. During the ceremony, an emotional Sharon told Jack that he had given her the ability to trust again.

In 2010, reunited former spouses Adam Chandler (David Canary) and Brooke English (Julia Barr) left town together on All My Children. Barr had returned to the show in February after a multiyear absence to help usher Canary's alter ego off the canvas. However, both characters would return later in the year to take part in the final episodes of the series after it was canceled by ABC.

In 2019 on Young and Restless, Neil Winters passed away after suffering a fatal stroke. The character's death was scripted following the tragic real-life passing of his Daytime Emmy-winning portrayer, Kristoff St. John, who had died on February 3. In the storyline, Devon Winters became concerned after his dad was a no-show at the opening of the new restaurant he and Abby were launching, Society. He decided to do a quick run home to check on Neil, and discovered that his father had passed away. He returned to Society, distraught, to break the terrible news in person to his sister, Lily.