Magnus Magnusson
Magnus Magnusson Icelandic | |
|---|---|
| Alma mater | Jesus College, Oxford |
| Occupations |
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| Known for | Mastermind presenter, translation work |
| Spouse |
Mamie Baird (m. 1954) |
| Children | 5, including Sally and Jon |
| Relatives | Jamie Magnus Stone (grandson) |
Magnus Magnusson,
Early life
Magnús Sigursteinsson was born in Reykjavík on 12 October 1929, but grew up in Edinburgh, where his father, Sigursteinn Magnússon, was the Icelandic consul. In Scotland his family adopted a British naming convention, and from childhood Magnus used his father's patronymic as a surname.
Magnusson lived with his family in John Street, Portobello, an eastern suburb of Edinburgh. He was educated at the Edinburgh Academy, where he was in the school's marching brass band, and at Jesus College, Oxford.[2]
Career
Journalism and television
After graduating from
Mastermind
Magnusson presented the long-running quiz show ".
Magnusson ended his 25-year run hosting Mastermind in September 1997, and the original black chair was given to him at the end of the production, passing to his daughter Sally Magnusson after his death.
Magnusson later returned to present a one-off celebrity special, originally broadcast on 30 December 2002 on BBC Two, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first ever Mastermind final.[5] This was a precursor to the main show returning to the BBC with Humphrys as host.[6] Shortly before his death, Magnusson returned to the regular Mastermind series to present the trophy to the 2006 champion Geoff Thomas. Sally Magnusson presented the trophy to the next series winner, David Clark, while also paying tribute to her father and his legacy to the show.
The Magnus Magnusson principle
The Magnus Magnusson principle refers to a rule or guideline often associated with quizzes or competitions, notably popularized by the British television quiz show "Mastermind," on which Magnus Magnusson was a long-time host. The principle is essentially: "I've started so I'll finish." It applies during the quiz when a contestant is asked a question just as the time runs out; the host allows the question to be completed and the contestant to provide their answer, even though the allotted time has expired.
This principle is often cited outside of quizzes as well, symbolizing a commitment to completing tasks or responsibilities one has begun, regardless of new time constraints or challenges that arise.
Books
- Scotland: The Story of a Nation
- Introducing Archaeology
- Viking Expansion Westwards
- The Clacken and the Slate (The Edinburgh Academy, 1824 – 1974)
- Viking Hammer of the North
- BC: The Archaeology of the Bible Lands
- Landlord or Tenant?: A View of Irish History
- Iceland
- Vikings!
- Magnus on the Move
- Treasures of Scotland
- Lindisfarne: The Cradle Island
- Reader's Digest Book of Facts (ed.)
- Iceland Saga
- Chambers Biographical Dictionary (ed., 5th edition)
- The Nature of Scotland (ed.)
- I've Started, So I'll Finish
- Rum: Nature's Island
- Magnus Magnusson's Quiz Book
- Fakers, Forgers and Phoneys: Famous Scams and Scamps
Translator
Magnusson translated or co-translated a variety of books from modern
Awards and charity positions
Magnusson was given the honorary award of Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1989.
He was elected President of the
He was
Death
On 12 October 2006, his 77th birthday, Magnusson was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Magnusson mordantly noted that "This has to be one of my worst birthdays ever." His condition forced him to cancel a string of public appearances. He died on 7 January 2007.[9][10][11] The Aigas Field Centre has a building named the Magnus House in his honour.
Family
Magnusson was married to Mamie Baird from 1954 until his death.[12] They had five children. Their eldest son, Siggi, died in a traffic accident in 1973, when he was struck by a vehicle close to the Glasgow Academy playing fields at Anniesland in the city's West End. Their daughter Sally is a journalist, writer and television presenter, and youngest son Jon is a television producer, writer and director.[13][14][15]
Bibliography
- Viking Expansion Westwards (1973), ISBN 978-0-8098-3529-4
- The Clacken and the Slate (1974), ISBN 0-00-411170-2
- Viking, Hammer of the North (1976), ISBN 978-0-399-11744-2
- ISBN 978-0-671-24010-3
- The Vikings (1980, revised 2000),
- Lindisfarne, The Cradle Island (1984), ISBN 0-85362-223-X
- Chambers Biographical Dictionary (1990), as General Editor, ISBN 0-550-16040 XHardback
- Scotland Since Prehistory: Natural Change and Human Impact (1993), ISBN 978-1-898218-03-6
- I've Started So I'll Finish (1998), ISBN 978-0-7515-2585-4
- Scotland: The Story of a Nation (2000), ISBN 978-0-00-653191-3
- Lindisfarne (2004), ISBN 978-0-7524-3227-4
- Iceland Saga (2005), ISBN 978-0-7524-3342-4
- Keeping Your Words: An Anthology of Quotations (2005), ISBN 978-0-340-86264-3
- Fakers, Forgers and Phoneys: Famous Scams and Scamps (2006), ISBN 978-1-84596-190-9
References
- ODNB, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography 2005–2008, ed. Lawrence Goldman, 2013, p. 740
- ^ "Magnus Magnusson". The Daily Telegraph. 8 January 2007. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
- ^ Magnusson, Magnus (ed.), New Saltire No. 11, April 1964, New Saltire Ltd., Edinburgh
- ^ "Articles by Magnus Magnusson". New Statesman. Archived from the original on 17 February 2012.
- ^ BBC Press Office (6 December 2002). "Mastermind Celebrity Special".
- ^ BBC. "The history of Mastermind". Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ^ "Magnus Magnusson". The Independent. 9 January 2007. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
- ^ Roger Crofts; David Breeze. "Magnus Magnusson" (PDF). Royal Society of Edinburgh. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
- ^ "Magnusson faces cancer treatment". BBC News. 12 October 2006. Retrieved 18 November 2011.
- ^ "TV's Magnus Magnusson dies at 77". BBC News. 8 January 2007. Retrieved 18 November 2011.
- ^ "Obituary: Magnus Magnusson". BBC News. 7 January 2007. Retrieved 18 November 2011.
- ^ Davison, Phil (19 April 2012). "Obituary: Mamie Magnusson; made her name in journalism when women were rarely seen in news rooms". The Scotsman. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
- ^ Rachel Carlyle (2 February 2014). "BBC presenter Sally Magnusson on her mum's battle with dementia". BBC Press Office. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
- ^ "Mamie Magnusson". 17 April 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
- ^ "Sally Magnusson, Presenter". BBC Press Office. March 2006. Archived from the original on 4 May 2009.
- ^ "Magnus Magnusson". The Independent. 22 September 2011.
External links
- Magnus Magnusson Fund, Glasgow Caledonian University
- The Magnus Magnusson Fellowship
- Magnus Magnusson quotations
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