16. Several beloved American fictional characters were born in 1970
The Mary Tyler Moore Show debuted in September 1970, and gave birth to several characters which became part of the American landscape. Among them was Mary herself. Others included her friends Rhoda Morganstern and Phyllis Lindstrom. The almost impossibly obtuse Ted Knight was born from the show, as was Mary’s boss, hard-drinking Lou Grant, who later gained a show of his own (so did Rhoda and Phyllis). The show and its characters remain popular fifty years later, both as nostalgia for some, and as newly introduced performers for a younger audience. Other enduring characters were born in other television programs during 1970.
On January 5, 1970, the daytime serial (known as a soap opera at the time) All My Children debuted on American television. Actress Susan Lucci made her first appearance on the show on January 16, as the character Erica Kaine. Lucci portrayed Kaine for the next 41 years, until the show finally closed in September, 2011. TV Guide called Erica Kaine, “the most famous soap opera character in the history of daytime TV”. Kaine was the longest-running character in the history of American television played by a single performer. The character inspired at least three songs and two dolls manufactured by Mattel during the show’s run.