STARTING TODAY: Y&R pulls out all the stops to celebrate its 45th anniversary

An episode of The Talk, a week of wild stories, and so much more is on the docket for The Young and the Restless' 45th anniversary

The Young and the Restless will be turning 45 years young on Monday, March 26, and to celebrate the special occasion, the CBS Daytime drama has plenty of special moments in store for fans.

Everyone is talking about the soap's upcoming anniversary, so it's only appropriate that several stars from the nation's number one soap opera would be invited to CBS Daytime's The Talk.

Fans who tune in to today's episode will get the chance to see Peter Bergman (Jack Abbott), Amelia Heinle (Victoria Newman), Bryton James (Devon Hamilton), Mishael Morgan (Hilary Curtis), Jason Thompson (Billy Abbott), and Gina Tognoni (Phyllis Summers) celebrating their show's milestone achievement.

Meanwhile, the show's new executive producer and head writer, Mal Young, promises viewers a week of high-stakes drama, romance, and compelling returns set to kick off on Monday, the day of the soap's anniversary.

"The Young and the Restless will celebrate its 45th anniversary by proudly looking back at the rich history of the show while propelling our characters into exciting new stories," he shared via an official show statement. "Viewers will be treated to a week-long, can't-miss-a-minute celebration as storylines take unexpected turns and we welcome faces from the past."

Special moments fans can look forward to during the week of March 26 include:

• The long-running feud between Victor Newman (Eric Braeden) and Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman) reaches its breaking point, irrevocably changing the lives of both men.

• Ashley Abbott (Eileen Davidson) and her daughter, Abby (Melissa Ordway), uncover a shocking secret.

• The relationship between Victoria Newman (Amelia Heinle) and J.T. Hellstrom (Thad Luckinbill) takes a dramatic turn.

• Nikki Newman (Melody Thomas Scott) finds her loyalty tested like never before.

• Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow) and Sharon Newman (Sharon Case) confront their heated past.

• The return of several familiar faces shakes things up in Genoa City. Among the beloved characters returning to Y&R will be Lorie Brooks (Jaime Lyn Bauer) and Leslie Brooks (Janice Lynde), members of Genoa City's first family, the Brooks; Julia Newman Martin (Meg Bennett); Mackenzie Browning Hellstrom (Kelly Kruger); Raul Guitierez (David Scott Lago); and Brittany Hodges (Lauren Woodland).

As previously reported, Y&R stars are also set to visit Wheel of Fortune on Monday, March 26, as part of the soap's anniversary celebration.

Created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell, Y&R premiered on March 26, 1973. It has been TV's number one-rated daytime drama for the past 29 years. Y&R airs weekdays on CBS (12:30-1:30 PM, ET; 11:30 AM-12:30 PM, PT).

What do you think about the way Y&R is celebrating its 45th anniversary? What part of the planned festivities are you most looking forward to? We want to hear from you -- so drop your comments in the Comments section below, tweet about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, or chat about it on our Message Boards.