1965-2002: As “Days of Our Lives” turns 37, please take a few moments to reminisce with me about some facts, some of my favorite memories and moments in Salem’s history, and my special tribute to those no longer with us…Facts: "Days of Our Lives" premiered 37 years ago on November 8, 1965. Since that time, the series has aired 9,430 episodes, plus 3 primetime specials (One Stormy Night, Night Sins, and Winter Heat)…survived 32 competing daytime dramas, which have been cancelled... the series has amassed 24 Emmy awards and a record 15 wins as best soap in the Soap Opera Digest awards…the United States has went through 8 presidents...Cast Grows Up: 15 of the current 34 contract castmembers weren't born yet...Kristian Alfonso, Lisa Rinna and Kevin Spirtas were toddlers...Matthew Ashford, Drake Hogestyn, Renee Jones, Lauren Koslow, and Peter Reckell were in elementary school...Tanya Boyd, Patrika Darbo, Deidre Hall and James Reynolds were in high school...of the remaining 7 adults at the time, two have remained with the show since its debut, Frances Reid (Alice) and John Clarke (Mickey)...Days Is Born: TV Guide issued this statement marking its debut: "Macdonald Carey stars as Dr. Thomas Horton, professor of medicine in a New England college town. Also stars: Frances Reid as Horton's wife, Marie Cheatham as their engaged daughter, John Clarke as their son Mickey, David McLean as attorney Craig Merritt and Charla Doherty as Julie Olson."...Rest In Peace: as time has passed, many people close to "Days" have passed on, including its creator Ted Corday, his wife/executive producer Betty Corday; series star Macdonald Carey (Alice’s husband, Tom Horton, the true spirit of Salem as many people have said); Charla Doherty (the first Julie, who tragically died at an early age in the 1980s); Christopher Stone (Bill Horton of the 80s and 90s; married to ET’s Dee Wallace Stone), Nancy Parsons (Mary Brooke who stole infant Will from Sami; the loveable grump from the Ziploc commercials), Eric Christmas (the delightful Father Francis who warned John that evil had come to Salem in the form of a possessed Marlena), James Luisi (the hated Duke Johnson, Steve and Adrienne’s father who last appeared in some comic dreams of Jack’s), Avery Schreiber (the comedian who played Lawrence Alamain’s father Leopold), Joy Garrett (the wonderful Jo Johnson, who died too young at 47 of liver failure), Ray Stricklyn (who played both Howard Hawkins and, later, a judge), Pat Falken Smith (the headwriter who created the Brady family), Stanley Brock (Howie, who stood in for Hope during her marriage to Larry), Brenda Benet (Lee Dumonde/actor Bill Bixby’s wife, who tragically took her own life), Robert Alda (father of Alan and Antony, who played Stuart Whyland in Maggie’s pregnancy storyline), Jason Bernard (father to Renee Jones’ first character in Salem, Nikki Wade), Mary Frann (Bob Newhart’s wife in “Newhart”/Amanda Peters on “Days), Patricia Huston (original castmember who played Julie’s mother Addie), Robert Knapp (original castmember who played Julie’s father Ben), John Lupton (Alice and Tom’s son, Tommy), Tommy Boyce (co-creator of the theme song), Frank Pacelli (longtime director of the 60s and 70s), David McLean (original castmember who played Craig Merritt), Ed Prentiss (the original announcer who said “Like sands through the hourglass), Richard Guthrie (David Banning), Mark Tapscott (Bob Anderson), Nancy Wickwire (Phyllis Anderson), Susan Oliver (1970s Laura Horton), K.T. Stevens (Helen Martin)…Family Names: so many families have come and gone as the Hortons, Bradys, Kiriakis, Walkers, Wesleys and Reeds have survived…no longer in Salem include the Alamains, Andersons, Bannings, Bradfords, Chandlers, Colvilles, Corellis, Donovans, Grants, Johnsons, Kositcheks, Lombards, McIntyres, Merritts, Ramirezes, Reibers, and Scofields…Husband & Wife: many people have met and married on Days, including Susan & Bill Hayes (Doug/Julie), Michael Sabatino & Crystal Chappell (Lawrence/Carly), Kyle Lowder & Arianne Zuker (Brady/Nicole), Robert Kelker-Kelly & Miriam Parrish (Bo # 2/Jamie), and Melissa & Scott Reeves (Jennifer/Jake)…Memories: the yearly hanging of the Horton ornaments…Alice’s doughnuts…amnesiac Tommy falling in love with sister Marie, causing her to become a nun…Time Magazine's cover story of Doug & Julie’s wedding…Maggie meeting amnesiac Marty Hansen (aka Mickey Horton)…the interracial romance of David and Valerie…twins Marlena and Samantha (and Hattie)…the Salem Strangler…policeman Roman Brady meets and protects Marlena…Bo & Hope in New Orleans…Bo & Hope’s location wedding in England…Justin & Adrienne’s location wedding in Greece…Caroline’s affair with Victor…the zaniness of Calliope and Eugene (and their dog’s wedding)…Kayla’s hearing returning for her wedding to Patch…Charlayne Woodard (Desiree) singing a perfect version of “O Holy Night”, Christmas 1991…ISA’s Shane Donovan, Miss Peach and Chief Tarrington…everyone’s favorite maitre d’, Dave…Hope’s “death” during the Cruise of Deception…Stefano’s replacement villain, Lawrence Alamain (Michael Sabatino)…the 25th anniversary with many flashbacks of old friends while many were stuck in Lawrence’s unnamed country…Jack (who regains his voice just in time) & Jennifer’s location wild west wedding and fantasy sequences…Jack & Jennifer’s location scenes in LA, seeing Mac Carey’s Hollywood Walk of Fame star…Jo’s green tuna noodle casserole…Brian & Ginger (Robert Mailhouse & Roberta Leighton), and their dogs Fluffy & Sugar…Marlena’s reappearance to John on the foggy pier…the on-location Mexican mystery with the two Roman’s…Isabella’s death scene in John’s arms…Stella (the great Elaine Bromka) feeding Marlena thanksgiving dinner in a pit…Lynn Herring (Lisanne)’s brief stop in Salem starting by running into Wayne Northrop (Roman I) in drag…Kimberly's multiple personalities, Lacey and Clare...Brady Fish Market becomes Brady Pub…Sami shooting Alan Harris (Paul Kersey) in a most unfortunate place…the loveable partners in crime, Vivian and Ivan (the always great Louise Sorel and Ivan G’Vera)…Carrie getting burned by Austin’s boxing promoter…Marlena’s possession…Tom Horton’s death with Bill Hayes singing Mac’s favorite song “Danny Boy”…DiMera spelled backwards = Aremid, with its riddle-speaking Parrot Man, and veiled Lady in White…the Fancy Face…Peter Reckell saying “I’m back” as Bo returns from a short trip (and he returns from a 3-year break)…characters disappearing with no explanation (Don Craig, Wendy Reardon, Neil Curtis, Marcus Hunter, Jonah Carver)…Nick Benedict’s yearly appearances from beyond the grave as Curtis Reed…Lucas sleeping with---Sami…Joe Mascolo’s brilliant performance as Salem’s most-hated citizen, Stefano DiMera…Maison Blanche trip introduces Tanya Boyd as Celeste…Kate’s year-long trip on a fishing boat, thanks to Vivian…Blondie’s aka Wings…baby Belle being returned to Marlena in church on Christmas Eve…Shenanigans…Eileen Davidson portraying 5 characters in one scene, leaving her mark as the delightful Susan Banks, who married the equally funny Edmund (Adam Caine)…the 4th of July get together with everyone from the cast dancing together…Josh Taylor’s return as Chris (oops, Roman)…Lisa Linde’s great performance as crazy nurse Ali…Patrika Darbo’s song & dance number as Nancy while being drugged by Ali…the never-ending DiMera/Brady feud…the Horton Center…the quick childhoods of Shawn-Douglas, Brady, Belle, and Philip…Chez Vous…Steve Blackwood creating a handyman and turning him into one of Salem’s favorite servants, Bart…John & Marlena’s Hawaiian honeymoon…the 35th anniversary with few commercials and Frances Reid addressing the camera as herself at the end…Maggie buys Tuscany…Mickey wins a case…everyone saying “cook” instead of “the cook”…Kurt digging up Gina’s body…Alice’s Restaurant…Swamp Girl becomes Princess Greta…Austin & Greta’s odd trip to Paris into another dimension…tropical island paradise ending with Paul’s murder…Kiriakis mansion burns down…Brady and Chloe’s Sound of Music and Silent Night duets…the out-of-character Christmas tribute from last year…Farah Fath’s debut as the loveable Mimi…Tony’s return as the head of the DiMera legacy…Cassie and Rex arriving quite unusually…37 years have come and gone. Here’s to another 37. Happy Birthday, Days!