The story began with Tom and Alice and their children: the twins, Tommy and Addie, then Mickey, Bill, and Marie. Tom worked as a doctor at the Salem Medical Center. Addie had moved to Europe with her wealthy husband Ben and their son Steve, leaving her daughter Julie to be raised by Tom and Alice. Tommy was missing in Korea and presumed dead. Mickey was a successful lawyer, and Bill a brilliant surgeon. Marie was engaged to be married.

Julie felt abandoned by her parents and was caught shoplifting, an obvious bid for attention. Moreover, \Julie searched for attention in all the wrong places. She fell in love with the older David, and they became secretly engaged. However, Julie was soon devastated to discover that her best friend, Susan, was carrying David's child. Susan married David with the understanding that they would divorce as soon as the baby was born, and Julie agreed to act as maid of honor at their wedding. But Susan never intended to keep her promise. Susan's happiness was short-lived because her infant son, Richard, died in a swing accident while David was watching him. Grief-stricken, Susan shot and killed David.

Bill fell in love with a fellow intern, Laura, a psychiatrist in training. Their joy was cut short when Bill developed tuberculosis of the hand. Fearing he would not be able to remain a surgeon and would never be worthy of Laura, Bill left Salem for the town of Pine Grove. While there, Bill met Mark, the town doctor. Mark recommended surgery and therapy, which eventually saved Bill's hand. Bill knew he was cured when he was able to use his surgical skills to save the life of a young boy. Bill's confidence was restored, and he returned to Salem. Mark also relocated there.

When Susan went on trial for David's murder, she was defended by Mickey. Mickey soon found himself falling in love with Laura, Susan's psychiatrist. Susan was acquitted on grounds of temporary insanity, and the bond that Mickey and Laura had forged in their common defense of Susan led to their marriage.

When Bill returned to Salem, he was shocked to discover that his brother Mickey had married Laura, the woman he loved. Working together at the hospital only increased the tension between Bill and Laura, and one night, in a drunken stupor, Bill raped her. Later he could not remember the incident, and Laura lied to him in order to prevent strife between Mickey and Bill. Laura soon discovered she was pregnant. A horrified Tom confronted her with the news that Mickey, who was sterile, could not be the father. Laura told Tom about the rape, and they vowed to keep the matter a secret from Mickey out of concern for his health. Mickey was delighted when "his" son Michael was born.

Marie's fiancée, Tony, broke off their engagement and left Salem. Heartbroken, Marie turned to Tony's father Craig for support. They eventually married, but the marriage did not last.

Newly-divorced, Marie fell in love with Mark. Mark returned her affections, and all seemed to be going well. But Bill and Tom were troubled by this seemingly mysterious young man. A series of strange coincidences convinced Bill that there was more to Mark than met the eye. As it turned out, Mark was none other than Bill's long lost brother, Tommy. It seemed that while Tommy had been a POW in Korea, he was tortured and so badly burned that he required extensive reconstructive surgery of the face. The trauma of the war, the torture, and the surgery had caused him to develop amnesia, and it was not until months after his return to Salem that Mark remembered the truth of his identity as Tommy. Marie was overjoyed at the return of her brother, but she was shocked and confused about having fallen in love with him. Turning to religion for comfort, Marie eventually became a nun. Tommy rediscovered his meddlesome wife Kitty and their daughter Sandy, both of whom were living in Salem.

Kitty found a cassette tape that had accidentally been made of Laura discussing her rape with Tom. Kitty intended to use the recording against Bill by proving Michael's true parentage. Bill struggled with Kitty over the cassette, and Kitty, who had a history of heart trouble, collapsed and died from a heart attack. Bill was charged with Kitty's murder, and Mickey defended him in court. Bill kept silent about his motives during the trial in order to protect Mickey. He was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sent to prison.

Julie, distraught over David's death and pregnant with his child, went against her own feelings and gave up her infant son for adoption. Julie and David's child was adopted by Scott and Janet, who named him Brad. Joy soon turned to tragedy as they discovered that Janet was dying from a brain tumor. Susan, now Brad's regular babysitter, did not know that Brad was the biological son of Julie and David. Susan was very fond of Brad, who had become a substitute for the child she lost. After Janet's death, Susan continued to care for Brad and soon found herself falling in love with Scott.

Tormented by the loss of her son and the thought that Susan, her hated rival, might become Brad's mother, Julie sued for custody. The court took the baby from the widowed Scott and returned him to Julie, who renamed him David after his father. Scott had grown so attached to the child that he proposed marriage to Julie in order to remain the boy's father. Julie agreed to marry him in order to get even with Susan.

In prison, Bill met Brent, a singer and con man. Brent was enthralled by Bill's revelation that Susan had inherited $250,000 after the death of her husband. When Brent was released from prison he raced to Salem to woo Susan, now calling himself Doug. Susan was not interested in Doug's obvious seduction, but she offered him money to romance Julie away from Scott. The money was not needed, as Doug almost immediately fell in love with the beautiful Julie...