1971-1975
1971
As 1971 began, Linda was pregnant. She assumed Mickey was the father, and he would at last leave Laura to marry her. However, when Laura told Linda that Mickey was streile, Linda realized that Jim Phillips was the father. After Melissa was born, Linda and Jim left Salem. Laura and Mickey stayed together for Mike's sake, although Laura and Bill secretly longed for each other.
Susan arrived at University Hospital disheveled after an apparent attack at the park, but she gave no details. She eventually got over the experience, and then she focused her energy on the clinic she built with her inheritance from David Martin. Susan realized she was pregnant just as she became involved with a doctor who worked there, Greg Peters. Knowing the pregnancy was the result of the rape in the park, and fearing a child could jeopardize her relationship with Greg, she considered abortion. She changed her mind and developed a strong love for her unborn child.
Julie and Doug continued their affair, still planning to run away together. However, Julie couldn't leave her husband until she was certin she would retain custody of her child, David, who was growing closer to scott and further from her.
Addie returned to town and resumed her competitve relationship with Julie. Addie often disapproved of Julie's choices, but she considered Julie's Marriage a good one, and it disturbed her to see Julie's attention wandering.
Laura, Mickey, and Michael visited Laura's mother carrie in a sanitarium. At year's end, Julie was still with Scott. Laura was with Mickey, but their hearts were clearly elsewhere.
1972
In 1972, Laura's feelings for Bill deepened, and she had every intention of asking Mickey for a divorce. However, Mike overheard words of love exchanged between her and Bill. He was so upset that he ran blindly into the street. and he was hot by a car. He survived, but he refused to have anything to do with his Uncle Bill ever again. At about that time, Mickey developed a heart condition, and Laura put her fellings for Bill aside, accepting her place with her family.
The day after Juli's divorce from Scott would have been final, she and Doug planned to elope and honeymoon in Portofino. She assumed they's bring David. Doug had no intrest in parenthood, and after an argument with Julie, he spontaneosly accepted Addie's propsal of marriage. Julie, he spontaneously accepted Addie's proposal of marriage. Julie was shocked and devastated, but her love for Doug was unaffected even though she stayed with Scott.
Susan met Greg's family, and was quite rattled when she recognized Greg's brother, Eric, as the "attaker" in the park. Eric, a struggling artist and writer, denied that thier encounter was anything but consensual and was atally initiated by Susan. They agreed not to tell Greg what had happened between them. Annie was born, but Susan was diagnosed with cancer of the uterus. Although Susan was unable to have any more children, Greg still wanted to wed.
Bob and Phyllis Anderson arrived in Salem. By the holiday season, Scott was part of Anderson Manufacturing and doing well enough to shower his wife with extravagant gifts. But Julie remianed secretly preoccupied with her new step father, Doug, even though he was a faithful husband to Addie.
1973
Scott Banning died after a construction accident in 1973, leaving Julie widowed. Soon after, Addie became pregnant, but she was also diagnosed with leukemia. Unaware of her mother's illness, Julie stayed away from her and Doug, and grew closer to Bob and Phyllis Anderson. Although Phyllis was like a mother to Julie, Bob found himself attracted in as more carnal way to Julie's youth and vivacity. Because she was feeling guilty, Susan left Salem. When Eric's autobiographical novel was published, Greg read it and figured out that Eric had been Susan's "attacker". A fight between Greg and Eric landed Eric in the hospital, and Susan returned mto his bed side. She finally told Greg the truth, and after he reconciled with Eric, Greg and Susan married.
Mickey had a heart attack precipitated by an argument with Mike, who had learned of Mickey's affair with Linda. Bill performed emergency surgery and Mickey survived, but he suffered a stroke which erased his memory. No one noticed when he left his hospital bed and disappeared. He arrived on a farm outside of town where he met crippled Maggie Simmons. She took care of him, and they fell in love. He assumed the name Marty Hansen simply to match the initials on his belt buckle.
Back in Salem, Laura and Bill were finding it difficult to stay away from each other. By year's end, Laura had started proceedings to declare her missing husband legally dead so that she and Bill would be free to marry.
1974
As 1974 started, Julie almost married Don Craig, but she broke off the relationship when it appeared Addie might die. However, Addie went into remission and she gave birth to Hope. This was a mixed blessing for Julie, who was greatful her mother was well but still heartbroken not to be reunited with Doug. Julie tried to rekindle her romance with Don, but he had lost trust in her. Julie then married Bob Anderson shortly after his divorce from Phyllis. Phyllis tried to kill Julie and ended up shooting her daughter Mary, who survived. Addie was pushing Hope's stroller across the street and she was hit by a car. She pushed Hope out of harm's way, but Addie was killed. Julie, now married to Bob, was again unable to be with Doug, the love of her life. Her marriage was already rockey, and she again considered divorce.
Still without his memory, Mickey (aka Marty) married Maggie. When the Hortons finally tracked him down. he found out who he was, but he still didn't regain his memory. He chose to stay with Maggie. After her divorce from Mickey, Laura and Bill were free to marry. Maggie agreed to surgery and hoped Mickey would remarry her.
Eric hid his true feelings for Susan and her daughter Annie. Susan's husband, Greg, became increasingly interested in Amanda, his patient who was having and affair with Neil Curtis.
Jeri Clayton arrived in Salem with his daughter Trish, and the two became a popular singing duo at Doug's Place.
1975
Laura and Bill reunited in 1975, and she pregnant with his child. Feeling betrayed by his mother and his uncle, and confused by Mickey's lack of interest in regaining his memory, Mike became nvolved with Trish Clayton, who had her own set of parental problems caused by her abusive stepfather, Jack. Mike and Trish moved in together, eager to escape their families, but they refrained from sex.
Neil Curtis had a gambling addiction, which drove his girlfriend Amanda to attempt suicide. She survived and grew closer to Greg.
Maggie had spinal surgery. Mickey helped her recover and she learned to walka again. Linda tried to claim Melissa was Mickey's daughter, but they had been warned of her trick and she backed down, but she remained in Salem.
Julie became pregnant with Bob's child. She was ready to divorce Bob for Doug. So that her child would have a proper family, Doug selflessly told Julie that he did not love her. She separated from Bob anyway and stayed in Doug's guest room, determined as ever to win him back. Doug, meanwhile arranged for a suurogate mother to bear his child so that little Hope would have a sibling. Rebecca North was the surrogate, but she used the pregnancy was an attempt to hold onto her boyfriend, Johnny, who thought the child was his.
David Banning returned to town with Brooke Hamilton, his latest girlfriend. Brooke was jealous of David's newfound closeness to his mother, and she spread rumors that Julie had been unfaithful to Bob. Further, she lied that Julie was pregnant with Doug's child. Doubts caused a rift between Julie and David. After they argued, David drove his car into a river and was presumed dead. Brooke overdosed on sleeping pills, but she survived.
David was actually alive and well. He lived with the Grants, a black family, and he fell in love with their daughter, Valerie Grant. When he returned to Salem, Julie hurried down the stairs, fell, and suffered a miscarriage.
Although Brooke was pregnant with David's baby, she knew he was in love with Valerie and she refused his offer of marriage.