History of As the World Turns (1961–1965)

This article is about the history of As the World Turns (ATWT), the second longest-running American television soap opera.

Storylines

• While babysitting for the Stewarts, Ellen Lowell realized that Dan Stewart is really her son Jimmy.

• Jeff Baker became a piano player in a bar under the name Jack Bailey. Meg Blaine developed feelings for him, then discovered his true identity.

• Penny Hughes and Greg Williams made plans for a date. Meg Blaine, who had gone to Oakdale to tell Penny where Jeff was, overheard.

• Jeff begged Penny to take him back.

• Janice Whipple returned to town with daughters Alice and Debbie after Carl Whipple died. Donald Hughes then married Janice.

• Nancy tried to stop Don from getting back with Janice.

• Chris asked Nancy to stop interfering in Don's life.

• Lisa Hughes gave birth to Thomas Christopher Hughes.

• Lisa made excuses so she wouldn't have to do housework. She also falsely claimed that Pa Hughes disliked her.

• Claire became attracted to Bill Abbott. The two were kissing in a parked car when they were sideswiped by another car. Doug Cassen got angry and Bill left town.

• Ellen Cole became engaged to Jim Norman, but when he found out she was marrying him just to get custody of her son he left her.

• Jeff and Penny were involved in a car crash. Jeff was killed and Penny was in a coma and woke up with amnesia.

• Lisa Hughes had an affair with her friend Linda Elliot's brother Bruce. Bruce, a shoe tycoon, broke off the affair because Lisa wasn't sophisticated enough for him.

• Lisa Hughes became pregnant, but she miscarrid and divorced Bob Hughes.

• Bob Hughes met and got closer to Sylvia Hill.

• Nancy was disappointed that Bob wouldn't give his marriage with Lisa another try.

• Edna Rice's husband died because Doug Cassen didn't get a message on time due to his wife Claire's attempted overdose.

• Chris tried to get Nancy to apologize to Don.

• Interruptions in 1963 for the first bulletins on the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

• Don stood up in front of the whole of the Hughes family and accused Nancy of ostracizing his new family.

• Janice and Donald Hughes left town to go to Texas.

• Neil Wade came to town and met Penny Hughes. Neil was a doctor who couldn't save his dying father.

• Neil saved Pa Hughes' life after he chokes at the Hughes' 4th of July party.

• Doug Cassen was revealed to be Neil Wade's father. Judith Wade, his mother, married Frank Wade because she was pregnant.

• Doug offered Neil a job at Oakdale Memorial instead of Bob.

• Lisa Hughes ran off with Tommy Hughes and put him in military school, but Chris and Bob Hughes brought Tom back.

• Franny Brennan, David's new housekeeper, harbored delusions that they would marry.

• Penny Hughes and Neil Wade got married.

• Judith Wade and Jerry Stevens got married and left town.

• James Lowell almost died while under Neil's care, and Claire Cassen told Doug Cassen to stay away from Neil.

• Neil Wade opened up a bookstore, the Wade Book Shop.

• Judge James T. Lowell convinced Don to return to Oakdale after learning that Janice had died.

• Hurt that Don didn't tell them of Janice's death, Chris sent Don a letter about it, but Don tore it up.

• Nancy encouraged Don to get to know Sara Fuller better.

• Donald Hughes rekindled his relationship with old flame, Ellen Cole.

• Dan Stewart called Ellen Cole mother while delirious with a fever.

• Lisa Hughes went to look for Tommy and got kidnapped.

• Bob Hughes and Sylvia Hill became engaged. She broke it off and later marries Al Suker.

• The Holmes Family (Bill, Ann, and their daughter, Amanda) came to Oakdale.

• Amanda Holmes' mother was really Sara Fuller.

• Ellen Cole and Donald Hughes got engaged, but then David Stewart proposed to Ellen.

• Dan Stewart almost died from encephalitis, but then went off to medical school.

• Lisa Hughes moved to Chicago and married John Eldridge. She returned to Oakdale later that year. (Her story continued in Our Private World)

• Lisa Hughes was going to sue for custody of Tom and tell Bob Hughes that she had married John Eldridge. When Tom didn't want to go with her, Lisa Hughes came to the Hughes' door step demanding Tom, but Penny kicked her out.

• Tom Hughes was SORASed and returns from serving in the Vietnam War with a drug habit. He attempted to break into Dr. Michael Shea's office to steal drugs.

• Lisa Hughes Eldridge had a fling with Claire Cassen's husband, Michael Shea. When she becomes pregnant, she tried to get him to marry her, but he refused. She told Claire of their affair, and Claire divorced Michael. Michael blackmailed Lisa (who now hated him) into marrying him.

Characters

The Hughes Family

Will "Pa" Hughes

m.Ma Hughes

c.Edith Hughes Frey

m.George Frey

a.Jim Lowell (RIP)

c.John Hughes

m.Marion

c.Christopher Hughes

m.Nancy Hughes

c.Donald Hughes

m.Janice Turner Whipple Hughes(RIP)

c.Penny Hughes Baker

m.Jeff Baker

m.Neil Wade

c.Bob Hughes

m.Lisa Miller Hughes

c.Thomas Christopher Hughes

c.Susan Hughes (RIP)

The Lowell Family

James T. Lowell

m.Alice Lowell (RIP)

c.Jim Lowell (RIP)

m.Claire Lowell Cassen

m.Doug Cassen

a.Edith Hughes

c.Ellen Lowell Cole

m.Tim Cole

c.James "Jimmy" Cole

Turner Family

Thelma Turner

c.Janice Turner Whipple Hughes (RIP)

m.Carl Whipple

c.Alice Whipple

c.Debbie Whipple

m.Donald Hughes

The Baker Family

Dick Baker

m.Grace Baker

c.Jeff Baker

m.Penny Hughes Baker

The Cole Family

Tim Cole

m.Louise Cole

m.Ellen Lowell Cole

a.Donald Hughes

The Meadows Family

Joe Meadows

m.Anne Meadows

The Miller Family

Henry Miller

m.Alma Miller

c.Lisa Miller Hughes Eldridge

m.Bob Hughes

c.Thomas Christopher Hughes

a.Bruce Elliot

m.John Eldridge

The Stewart Family

David Stewart

m.Betty Stewart

c.Paul Stewart

c.Dan Stewart (adopted) {Birth Name: James "Jimmy" Cole}

The Rice Family

Ed Rice

m.Edna Rice

c.Carol Rice

The Wade Family

Judith Wade Stevens

m.Frank Wade

m.Jerry Stevens

a.Doug Cassen

c.Neil Wade

m.Penny Hughes Baker Wade

The Suker Family

Al Suker

m.Martha Suker

m.Sylvia Hill Suker

c.Helen Suker

The Holmes Family

Bill Holmes

m.Ann Holmes

a.Sara Fuller

c.Amanda Holmes {AKA: Jennifer Roberts}

The Elliot Family

Bruce Elliot

c.Lisa Miller Hughes

Linda Elliot

Other People

• Tom Pope, Penny's love interest
• Mitchell Dru, an attorney
• Greg Williams, a reporter
• Julie Spencer, an attorney who was Mitchell Dru's ward.
• Meg Blaine,
• Bill Abbott, Claire's lover
• Jim Norman, Ellen's fiancee
• Chuck Ryan, doctor who was with Mary Mitchell
• Mary Mitchell,Sylvias closet friend
• Franny Brennan, the Stewart's housekeeper
• Susan Burke, Dan Stewart's girlfriend