9 Moments That Defined Days of Our Lives (DOOL)

A myriad of storylines, cast members and memorable behind-the-scenes moments have swept through Days of Our Lives (DOOL) during its nearly 52-year run.

Some, however, stand out from the pack. Here are nine moments that defined the NBC soap.

Time to Shine
On January 12, 1976, Bill and Susan Seaforth Hayes appeared on the cover of Time magazine, the first and only soap opera stars ever to have the honor. Married in real life, their onscreen coupling as Doug and Julie has tantalized viewers for decades.

Birth of a Villain
Head writer Pat Falken Smith coaxed Joseph Mascolo into taking the role of mafioso Stefano DiMera in 1982. Mascolo envisioned it as a temporary gig. Instead, he ended up playing the greatest villain in daytime history on and off until 2016.

England I Do’s
After a two-year courtship that catapulted Peter Reckell and Kristian Alfonso to the top of the supercouple heap, Bo and Hope finally married in 1985. Their on-location wedding in merry old England was a lavish affair.

Who’s Roman?
In a 1991 shocker, Wayne Northrop’s Roman was revealed to be alive and well and Stefano’s captive, which meant Drake Hogestyn’s “Roman” was an imposter. It pitted Marlena between two men she deeply loved.

Grave Consequences
The nefarious Vivian (Louise Sorel) concocted a brilliant way to keep her beloved nephew Nicholas away from his mother, Carly (Crystal Chappell), in 1993. She buried her longtime nemesis alive!

Doc and the Devil
Outrageous scribe, James E. Reilly, penned a possession story for the sainted Marlena in 1995. It caused huge controversy, yet garnered immense attention for the soap, culminating in daytime’s first exorcism.

Quint-tastic!
Eileen Davidson embarked on a soap first: tackling five roles. Her portrayals of Kristen Blake, Susan Banks, Sister Mary Moira, Thomas Banks, and Penelope Kent even garnered her a Daytime Emmy nomination in 1998.

Sami’s Sex Change
When Alison Sweeney went on maternity leave in 2005, the soap recast her role of Sami with actor Dan Wells. Duped by Andre into getting even with her enemies while disguised as a man named Stan, the character underwent a dramatic transformation.

Wilson Wedding
Will (Guy Wilson) and Sonny (Freddie Smith) became daytime’s first male gay couple to wed in 2014. Marlena officiated over the romantic ceremony that played out over three days.

Do you agree with these moments? Let us know in the comments if we left something out.

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