About John McCarthy (journalist)
John Patrick McCarthy (born 27 November 1956), is a British journalist, writer and broadcaster, and one of the hostages in the Lebanon hostage crisis. McCarthy was the longest-held British hostage in Lebanon, having been imprisoned for more than five years. While a prisoner, he learned that his girlfriend, Jill Morrell, was actively campaigning for his release, launching a group called "Friends of John McCarthy".
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.