The concept for Coronation Street was developed by Tony Warren and was initially rejected by Granada's founder Sidney Bernstein; producer Harry Elton eventually convinced Bernstein to commission 13 pilot episodes.

The show's fictional setting of Weatherfield was based on Salford, the hometown of creator Tony Warren.

Upon its 1960 debut, critics predicted the show would fail; a Daily Mirror columnist forecast it would last only three weeks, and the paper called it 'doomed from the outset'.

In 2010, Coronation Street was recognised by Guinness World Records as the world's longest-running television soap opera after the American soap opera As the World Turns concluded.

William Roache, who plays Ken Barlow, is the only original cast member still on the show and holds the record as the longest-serving actor in soap opera history worldwide.

The 1969 episode meant to be the first filmed in colour ended up broadcast in black and white because suitable colour film stock could not be found for the coach-trip episode; the following episode was the first actually recorded in color.

A 1970 technicians' dispute known as the Colour Strike forced Coronation Street to be filmed and broadcast in black and white again for several months, even though color equipment existed, until the dispute was resolved in early 1971.

In 1964, producer Tim Aspinall fired nine cast members, starting with Lynne Carol (Martha Longhurst); the sacking caused such controversy that co-star Violet Carson threatened to quit the show in protest, though she ultimately stayed.

In 1977, actor Stephen Hancock publicly complained about pay disparities that guaranteed certain veteran actors payment for every episode regardless of appearance, leading to a dispute with producer Bill Podmore and Hancock's resignation from the show.

Peter Adamson, who played Len Fairclough since 1961, was dismissed in 1983 for secretly selling his memoirs after being warned against unauthorized publicity; the firing coincided with unrelated criminal allegations against him, of which he was later acquitted, though the true reason for his dismissal was not made public at the time.

On Christmas Day 1987, the same day Hilda Ogden's character departed in the show's highest-rated episode ever (nearly 27 million viewers), rival soap EastEnders paid tribute by having its character Dot Branning declare she never misses an episode of Coronation Street.

In 1998, the storyline of Deirdre Rachid's wrongful imprisonment sparked a real-world 'Free the Weatherfield One' campaign, prompting UK Prime Minister Tony Blair to comment on the fictional case in Parliament.

In 2000, Prince Charles appeared as himself in a live hour-long episode celebrating the show's 40th anniversary.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, filming resumed in June 2020 with social distancing measures, and cast members over 70 or with underlying health conditions, including William Roache and Barbara Knox, were barred from set until it was deemed safe.

For a 2020 storyline showdown involving the death of abuser Geoff Metcalfe, COVID-19 social distancing rules were relaxed on the condition that the involved crew members formed a social bubble prior to filming.

In 2021, Coronation Street took part in a special crossover event with six other British soaps to promote climate change awareness ahead of the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference, featuring social media clips of characters from Emmerdale and Doctors.