"Like sands through the hourglass so are the Days of our Lives..."

Those immortal words are spoken by the one and only MacDonald Carey (Tom Horton), who played the role from the first day until his death in 1994. It has become one of the most iconic opening scenes in television history, and has remained virtually unchanged since 1965.

This show is a daily soap opera that has recently celebrated it 40th anniversary and has aired over 10,000 episodes. Set in the fictional town of Salem, Days centers around two main families, the Hortons and the Bradys. In recent years mainly new characters have been added, including the Kiriakis and DiMera families. From the beginning, the families have faced several problems such as kidnapping, love triangles, presumed deaths, and several divorces and breakups.

During the 1980s, the soap opera super-couple phenomenon spread to Days, which created Bo and Hope, Steve and Kayla, and Jack and Jennifer, two of which are still couples today.

Since its debut in 1965, it has played a big role in American pop culture and was even satirized on the popular sitcom, Friends.

To hear the theme and opening narration click here.