The former legendary talk show host Phil Donahue and actress Marlo Thomas celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary by writing a book called, What Makes a Marriage Last.

The couple conducted long interviews with other famous couples in order to get a diverse, and unique perspective on staying together. Donahue and Thomas spent up to three hours with each couple. Some of the couples they spoke with include, President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, Elton John and David Furnish, Joanna and Chip Gaines, and Rob Reiner and Michele Singer. 

5 Things You Need to Know:

    1. In 1977, Marlo Thomas was a guest on the hit daytime television talk show, “The Phil Donahue Show,” when she and Donahue "fell in love at first sight." They were married on May 21, 1980. 

    2. Marlo has won four Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, a Grammy Award, a Jefferson Award, and the Peabody Award.  President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the highest honor an American civilian can receive during a White House ceremony.

    3. Phil has been awarded 20 Emmy Awards during his broadcasting career, 10 for outstanding talk show host, and 10 for The Phil Donahue Show. He received the Peabody Award in 1980, and was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame.

    4. The couple said most conversations they had lasted almost three hours. "When we would talk about a fight we had, they’d talk about a fight they had. When we talked about a challenge, they talked about a challenge. We talked about our parents, they talked about their parents. We didn’t go in with a list of questions, the conversation just happened,” the couple said.

    5. Finally, the two concluded and said, "Everyone really wants the same thing. It’s just what do they do to get to that point when life stops, and hits you in the head with something and gives you a real gut punch."