Today is a great day in history.
The Great Fire of Rome began this day in 64 AD. The authority of the Pope was declared void in England this day in 1536. Jane Austen died today in 1817, while W.G. Grace was born today in 1848. The secret ballot was introduced in Britain on 18 July 1872. The surprisingly tall Nelson Mandela was born today in 1918. Adolf Hitler published Mein Kampf today in 1925. Martha Reeves first called out around the world today in 1941. Elvis Presley made his first recording in Sun Studios, Memphis today in 1953. Ted Kennedy cleverly drove off a bridge in Chappaquiddick on 18 July 1969, killing an aide in the process. Nadia Comaneci achieved the first ever perfect ‘10’ at the Montreal Olympics on this day in 1976.
But above all else, 18 July 1978 gave the world the exquisitely lovely Melissa Theuriau, this blog’s favourite newsreader.
The Minister wishes her a very happy 29th birthday and invites everyone back to his to watch some YouTube later.
Haha! There is an ever so slightly serious side to this. The increased worldwide scrutiny of which Ms Theriau has been the recipient has done wonders for her agent’s holiday plans, but it appears not all may be well at mill. With increased scrutiny, however friendly, comes increased scrutiny of your ability and opinion appears to be divided between those that think she “does a good enough job, considering” and those who think, to put it mildly, that she’s “not much cop”. It appears that genuine journalistic credibility, which is what she craved, is being denied her. In a country where the leading female newsreader, Christine Ockrent, married the then leader of the Socialist parliamentary alliance Bernard Kouchner (now foreign secretary) and she is wheeled out as a talking head on Newsnight style debate shows, it appears its all gone a bit Kaplinsky. Still, young beautiful and rich – I’m sure her life will have its consolations!