ON THIS DAY
FROM THE DAILY MAIL ARCHIVE May 17, 1954
‘ TELEVISION is far too potent an instrument of suggestion for commercial interests to be permitted any kind of control or influence over it,’ says a Church of Scotland Commission report published today. The Government’s decision to introduce commercial TV ‘is deeply to be deplored’.
May 17, 1973
BRITISH Leyland launches its most important new model since the Mini — the Austin Allegro. The Allegro — it’s a musical term meaning ‘brisk and lively’ — is the first of a new generation of cars designed to steal a march on Leyland’s rivals and is claimed to be the best equipped, most competitive car yet made by the group.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
SIMON FULLER, 63. The Cyprus-born British entrepreneur managed the Spice Girls before setting up S Club 7 (the S reportedly stands for Simon). In 2008, the creator of TV’s Pop Idol and American Idol was named the most successful British music manager in America — ahead of Brian epstein — as he was responsible for more than 500 number one singles. ANDREA CORR, 49. The
Irish singer-songwriter, musician and actress is frontwoman of family band The
Corrs, who sold 40 million albums worldwide. When she was voted ‘Most Beautiful Woman in the World’ in 2000, she said: ‘It was surreal, because obviously I’m not.’
BORN ON THIS DAY
BOB MERRILL (1921-1998). The U.S. songwriter penned the lyrics for the musical Funny Girl, composed novelty hit How Much Is That Doggie In The Window? and co- wrote Mambo Italiano. He admitted: ‘I’m no Tchaikovsky. I can’t read or write a note,’ adding that he composed all his songs on a toy xylophone. BIRGIT NILSSON (1918-2005). The Swedish opera star was ‘considered to be the greatest Wagnerian soprano of her day’. It is said tenor Franco Corelli was so furious at not being able to sustain his top note for as long as Nilsson that he told her he was going to bite her on the neck during a love scene on stage in Turandot. She pulled out of the subsequent performance, claiming she had rabies.
ON MAY 17. . .
IN 2021, Donna Summer, U.S. singer and Queen of Disco, died, aged 63.
IN 1943, The Dambusters Raid took place, when RAF 617 Squadron used bouncing bombs in an attack on three dams in Germany.
WORD WIZARDRY GUESS THE DEFINITION: Mytacism (c1913)
A) The incorrect or excessive use of the sound of the letter ‘M’.
B) The study of insects.
C) Harsh criticism. answer below.
PHRASE EXPLAINED
Job’s comforter: meaning someone who provokes distress under the guise of providing comfort; in the Bible, Job was a successful man whose patience was tested by several unwarranted misfortunes.
QUOTE FOR TODAY
People never talked about my music. They just counted how many knickers were on the stage.
Sir Tom Jones, Welsh singer
JOKE OF THE DAY
HOW much did the man sell dead batteries for? Nothing, they were free of charge! Guess The Definition answer: a.