"General Hospital" celebrates its 12,000 episode on Tuesday, Feb. 23 with great drama as mobster Sonny (Maurice Benard) deals with the fact that undercover cop Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) is his son, and Elizabeth (Rebecca Herbst) figures out who the father of her unborn child is.

"In any climate, it is amazing that we have the opportunity to celebrate such a momentous occasion," says executive producer Jill Farren Phelps. "This milestone honors the strength of the daytime drama and looks to the future that 'General Hospital' will continue to air many, many more episodes."

In its more than 46 years on-air, "General Hospital" has produced cutting-edge storylines on issues such as breast cancer, HIV/AIDS, sexual assault, heart disease and organ transplants, and boasts an alumni list that includes Demi Moore, Rick Springfield, Vanessa Marcil, and John Stamos.

"General Hospital" airs weekdays on ABC.