Magnús Magnússon
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| Magnús Magnússon | |
| Born | October 12, 1929 Reykjavík, Iceland |
|---|---|
| Died | January 7, 2007 Balmore, Dunbartonshire, Scotland |
Magnús Magnússon KBE (IPA: [ˈmaknus ˈmaknuˌsɔn], October 12, 1929 – January 7, 2007) was a television presenter, journalist, translator and writer of Icelandic birth. He lived in Scotland for nearly all his life, although he never took British citizenship. He came to fame as presenter of the BBC television quiz programme Mastermind, which he hosted for 25 years.
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[edit] Early Life
He was born in Reykjavík but grew up in Edinburgh, where his father, Sigursteinn Magnússon, was the Icelandic consul. Under Icelandic naming conventions, his name would have been Magnús Sigursteinsson (Magnús, son of Sigursteinn), but his family adopted Scottish naming conventions and used his father's patronymic. He was schooled at the Edinburgh Academy.
[edit] Career
[edit] Journalism
After graduating from Jesus College, Oxford, he became a reporter with the Scottish Daily Express and The Scotsman. He went freelance in 1967, then joined the BBC, presenting programmes on history and archeology as well as appearing in news programmes. He was Lord Rector of Edinburgh University from 1975 to 1978, and later became Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University.
[edit] Mastermind
Magnússon presented the long-running quiz show Mastermind from 1972 to 1997. The popularity of the show made him one of the best-known faces of the BBC. His famous catchphrase, which the current presenter John Humphrys has continued to use, was "I've started so I'll finish".
[edit] Translator
He translated a variety of books from Icelandic and Old Norse into English. Among these are several works by Halldór Laxness, the Nobel prize-winning novelist from Iceland, and a number of Norse sagas which he co-translated (with Hermann Pálsson) for the Penguin Classics series: Njal's Saga (1960), The Vinland Sagas (1965), King Harald's Saga (1966) and Laxdaela Saga (1969). Magnússon was also the author of a popular history of the Viking era, called The Vikings (revised edition, 2000).
[edit] Television Appearances
In 2007 he participated in a documentary about high school violence which was written and devised by Guardian columnist Laura Beeby, in which he claimed to have physically attacked several of his peers.
[edit] Awards & Charity positions
He was awarded an honorary knighthood (Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in 1989.
Magnússon was, for a time, the President of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
In 2002 he became Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University.
[edit] Later Life
On October 12, 2006, his 77th birthday, Magnússon was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Magnússon mordantly noted that "this has to be one of my worst birthdays ever". His condition meant he was forced to cancel a string of public appearances. He died on January 7, 2007. [1][2][3]
[edit] Children
His eldest son, "Siggi", died in a traffic accident in 1973. His eldest daughter, Sally Magnusson, is a television presenter, mainly in Scotland, although in the 1980s she worked for BBC South East News. She is also a regular presenter of Songs of Praise. Jón, another offspring, is a television comedy producer.
[edit] Trivia
Magnússon was noted as being one of the very few television presenters to keep their private address and phone number listed in the public telephone directory. He was also noted as a keen supporter of Manchester United F.C.
[edit] Bibliography
- Fakers, Forgers and Phoneys: Famous Scams and Scamps (2005), ISBN 978-1845961909
- Scotland: The Story of a Nation (2001), ISBN 978-0006531913
- The Vikings (1980), ISBN 978-0752426990
- Iceland Saga (2005), ISBN 978-0752433424
- Lindisfarne (2004), ISBN 978-0752432274
- Keeping Your Words: An Anthology of Quotations (2005), ISBN 978-0340862643
- Scotland Since Prehistory: Natural Change and Human Impact (1993), ISBN 978-1898218036
- I've Started So I'll Finish (1998), ISBN 978-0751525854
- Viking Expansion Westwards (1973), ISBN 978-0809835294
- Archaeology of the Bible (1978), ISBN 978-0671240103
[edit] References
[edit] External links
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Magnússon, Magnus |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Magnusson, Magnus |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | Icelandic television host |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 12, 1929 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Reykjavík, Iceland |
| DATE OF DEATH | January 7, 2007 |
| PLACE OF DEATH | Glasgow, Scotland |
Categories: 1929 births | 2007 deaths | Alumni of Jesus College, Oxford | Edinburgh Academical | Icelandic expatriates in the United Kingdom | Icelandic television personalities | Icelandic writers | Icelandic-English translators | Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire | Lord Rectors of the University of Edinburgh | Natives of Reykjavík | Pancreatic cancer deaths | People associated with Edinburgh | People associated with Glasgow Caledonian University | Scottish game show hosts | Scottish journalists | Scottish writers
