When did General Hospital start? Soap opera’s timeline explored

General Hospital is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in the Guinness World Records as the longest-running American soap opera still in production and the second-longest-running soap opera in American history after Guiding Light.

It is also the world's third longest-running scripted drama series in production, following British shows The Archers and Coronation Street, and the world's second-longest-running televised soap opera in production. The daily soap holds the record for most Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Drama Series with 14 wins.

Created by husband-and-wife soap writers Frank and Doris Hursley, General Hospital premiered on the ABC television network on 1 April 1963. It was first set in a hospital in an unnamed fictional city. As the show continued, that city was imbued with an identity: Port Charles, New York.

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General Hospital: Timeline explored

1960s and 1970s: General Hospital started as a medical drama that focused on the lives of Dr. Steve Hardy and Nurse Jessie Brewer. It revolved around the professional and personal problems of the hospital staff intertwining with action.

In 1978, with the addition of Luke Spencer, his romance with Laura Webber on the show was one of the most memorable in any soap opera. The 1981 wedding between Luke and Laura garnered an enormous audience of over 30 million viewers and became the highest-rated American daytime soap opera episode.

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1980s and 1990s: The 1980s cemented General Hospital's reputation for high-stakes drama and iconic supercouples. In addition to Luke and Laura, Robert Scorpio and Holly Sutton's pair was just one of the many couples that kept viewers enthralled during the decade.

There were all sorts of espionage-type elements as well, such as the Ice Princess storyline - where the formula for a powerful weapon was the center of the plot. It was still a hospital setting, but it branched out to include stories of the wealthy Quartermaine family, adding corporate and family drama to the show.

The 1990s brought the mobster Sonny Corinthos, who would soon become one of the lead characters in the show. His convoluted love stories, primarily with Brenda Barrett and Carly Benson, were the major plot points for the serial throughout this decade, along with the heavy medical drama, like the one tear-jerker storyline where BJ Jones died, and her heart was granted to her cousin Maxie.

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2000s to Present: General Hospital navigated the ever-changing television landscape, modernizing while remaining very true to its roots. The continuing exploration of the lives of the Quartermaines, the Spencers, and the Corinthos family was always retained.

The main storylines involved the mob wars of Sonny Corinthos and Jason Morgan, and the love triangle between Sonny, Carly, and Jason. The show also paid homage to its history by using the returns of several iconic characters while introducing new generations, maintaining continuity for long-time viewers.

The 2010s revived old favorites and introduced fresh faces, keeping the series very much in the present. The return of Genie Francis as Laura and the continuing sagas of the Corinthos family have been since kept on the front burner.

General Hospital marked its 50th anniversary in 2013, with special episodes celebrating its long history. It has maintained its traditional emphasis on hospital-based stories while juxtaposing them with broader adventures and romances that have kept audiences interested for decades.

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General Hospital continues to be a daytime drama powerhouse. Telling topical social stories, infusing the canvas with fresh faces, and reviving legacy tales, the show never fails to keep decades-long viewers and newfound fans enticed with their tangled tales.

It continues to mix its elements of the original medical drama with evolving storylines of romance, adventure, and crime.

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Fans can enjoy watching General Hospital on ABC.