As the World Turns debuted on April 2, 1956 at 1:30 pm.
As the World Turns ( often referred to as ATWT ) is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS for 54 years from April 2 , 1956 , to September 17 , 2010 . Set in the fictional town of Oakdale , Illinois , the show debuted on April 2 , 1956 , at 1:30 pm EST. .