“Like sands through the hourglass, so are the Days of Our Lives.” Those words have welcomed viewers into the world of Salem every

weekday since November 8, 1965. During that time, we’ve watched the residents of this small town fall in and out of love, do battle against

bad guys and even occasionally bury one another alive. Hey, it happens… at least in the wild and wonderful world presented by the daytime drama. Join us now in looking back at some of our favorite memories, from gorgeous weddings to tragic losses.

… and for decades, these were the two that it took: the late Frances Reid and MacDonald Carey as Alice and Tom Horton.

Never mind how it ended and ended and ended again between these two; this is the way we like to remember Hope Williams (Kristian Alfonso) and Bo Brady (Peter Reckell) — as happy as they were on the day of their first wedding.

Salem at first thought scantily clad aliens were invading in 2002. But twins Rex (Eric Winter) and Cassie (Alexis Thorpe) turned out to be a surprise branch of the Brady family tree.

… or was it just the early days in the romance of Carrie Brady (Christie Clark) and Austin Reed (Patrick Muldoon)? Nothing, it seemed, could come between them. Nothing except…

In 1966, Diane Hunter (Coleen Gray) did her best to assure daughter Susan (the late Denise Alexander) that bows were sure to come back in fashion. One day. Maybe.

All Lucas Roberts (Bryan R. Dattilo) is missing in this late-1990s portrait is the other members of his dreamy boy band.

Nothing could stand in the way of Joshua Fallon (Scott Palmer) marrying Jessica Fallon (Jean Bruce Scott). Well, unless you count her relationship with the Salem Strangler and her alternate personality.

In 1992, Robert Kelker-Kelly wasn’t just a new beau for Dr. Carly Manning (Crystal Chappell), he was a new Bo Brady for us all.

Eh, it was really more of a crowd in 2015 for a jealous Ben Weston (Robert Scott Wilson), girlfriend Abigail Deveraux (then Kate Mansi; now Kristina, General Hospital) and her true love, Chad DiMera (Billy Flynn; now Cane, Young & Restless).

Looking back, gamblin’ man Neil Curtis (Joe Gallison) and sad songstress Liz Chandler (Gloria Loring) probably would’ve been better off as strangers.

In the mid-1970s, David Banning (Richard Guthrie) and Valerie Grant (then Tina Andrews) — aka Eli Grant’s parents — became Days of Our Lives’ first interracial couple.