Bamber Gascoigne (born 1935) is a British television presenter and author. A television presenter is a British term for a person who is known for introducing or hosting television programmes. ...

Born in London on January 24, 1935, after schooling at Eton College he studied English literature at Magdalene College, Cambridge, followed by a year at Yale University (1958-1959), and came to fame as the presenter of popular television quiz show, University Challenge, in 1962. Although he has written several books, mostly on history, and presented other television programmes, his name is permanently connected with University Challenge in the minds of many people -- despite the fact that, since 1994, the show has been presented by Jeremy Paxman. Part of the London skyline viewed from the South Bank London is the most populous city in the European Union, with an estimated population on 1 January 2005 of 7. ... January 24 is the 24th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Kings College of Our Lady of Eton beside Windsor, commonly known as Eton College or just Eton, is an independent school for boys. ... The term English literature refers to literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; Joseph Conrad was Polish, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Edgar Allan Poe was American, Salman Rushdie is Indian. ... Full name The College of Saint Mary Magdalene Motto Garde ta Foy Keep your Faith Named after Mary Magdalene Previous names - Established 1428 Sister College Magdalen College Master Duncan Robinson Location Magdalene Street Undergraduates 335 Graduates 169 Homepage Boatclub Magdalene College (pronounced ) was founded in 1428 as a Benedictine hostel... Yale University is a private university in New Haven, Connecticut. ... Quiz Show is a 1994 film which tells the true story of a quiz show scandal of the 1950s. ... University Challenge is a long-running British television quiz show. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... One of the most famous quotations about history and the value of studying history, by Spanish philosopher, George Santayana, reads: Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... Jeremy Paxman hosting BBC Newsnight Jeremy Paxman (born 11 May 1950) is a BBC journalist, news presenter and author. ...

In the programme's early days, Gascoigne set all the questions himself. His style of presentation is often held up as an example of excellence. His questioning was firm yet polite, and his judgement scrupulously fair. A phrase he often used became something of a catchphrase: "I'll have to hurry you".

He would return in 1998 to present the Red Dwarf special Universe Challenge (a position he acquired by blowing up Jeremy Paxman with a bazookoid, a weapon from the series), a contest between the actors of the show and a set of fans; the fans won. Red Dwarf is a science fiction British sitcom (or Britcom for short). ... Jeremy Paxman hosting BBC Newsnight Jeremy Paxman (born 11 May 1950) is a BBC journalist, news presenter and author. ...

In the 1970s he presented The Christians, a television documentary series on the history of Christianity. The 1970s in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1970 and 1979. ... A television documentary is a documentary or a series of documentaries that are meant to be broadcasted on television. ... See also: Timeline of Christianity Beliefs Jesus crucifixion as portrayed by Diego Velázquez. ...

In recent years he has devoted much of his time in establishing an online history encyclopaedia called "History World" [1]. One of the most famous quotations about history and the value of studying history, by Spanish philosopher, George Santayana, reads: Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. ...

In the early hours of Wednesday August 8, 1979 Gascoigne was witness to the burial by Kit Williams, the author of Masquerade, of a valuable golden hare in an earthenware jar "somewhere in Britain". The treasure hunt which followed was pursued worldwide. Gascoigne summarized his experiences thus: August 8 is the 220th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (221st in leap years), with 145 days remaining. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... Kit Williams is the author of Masquerade (Jonathan Cape, London, 1979, ISBN 0224016172), a pictorial story book which contained clues to the location of a genuine valuable golden hare buried by Williams, and witnessed by Bamber Gascoigne, somewhere in Britain. Kit Williams said: If I was to spend two years... Masquerade is a children’s book, written and painted by Kit Williams, which sparked a worldwide treasure hunt by concealing clues to the location of a jeweled golden hare, created and hidden somewhere in the British Isles by Williams. ...

Tens of thousands of letters from Masqueraders have convinced me that the human mind has an equal capacity for pattern-matching and self-deception. While some addicts were busy cooking the riddle, others were more single-mindedly continuing their own pursuit of the hare quite regardless of the news that it had been found. Their own theories had come to seem so convincing that no exterior evidence could refute them. These most determined of Masqueraders may grudgingly have accepted that a hare of some sort was dug up at Ampthill, but they believed there would be another hare, or a better solution, awaiting them at their favourite spot. Kit would expect them to continue undismayed by the much publicised diversion at Ampthill and would be looking forward to the day when he would greet them as the real discoverers of the real puzzle of Masquerade. Optimistic expeditions were still setting out, with shovels and maps, throughout the summer of 1982.

In the Young Ones episode "Bambi" he is parodied by Griff Rhys Jones as "Bambi Gascoigne" (with considerable emphasis being placed on the resemblance of his name to the Disney character). The Young Ones; Left to right: Jerzi Balowski (Alexei Sayle), Neil (Nigel Planer), Rik (Rick Mayall), Mike (Christopher Ryan) & Viv (Adrian Edmondson) The Young Ones was a British sitcom about four male students sharing a house. ... Griff Rhys Jones (born 6 November 1953) is the comedy partner and foil of Mel Smith. ... Bambi is an animated feature produced by Walt Disney, which was originally released to theatres by RKO Radio Pictures on August 13, 1942. ... The Walt Disney Company (most commonly known as Disney) (NYSE: DIS) is one of the largest media and entertainment corporations in the world. ...

His name appears in one version of the Monty Python Lumberjack Song when Michael Palin sings of the "Quercus maximus Bamber Gascoigneii". The Monty Python troupe in 1970. ...

Bamber Gascoigne is also an authority on the history and techniques of printmaking and graphic reproduction, with publications such as Milestones in Colour Printing and How to Identify Prints. Printmaking is a process for producing multiple original pieces of artwork; painting, on the other hand, is a process for producing a single original piece of artwork. ...

Select bibliography

• Bamber Gascoigne, How to Identify Prints: A Complete Guide to Manual and Mechanical Processes from Woodcut to Inkjet ( ISBN 0500284806 )
• Bamber Gascoigne, A Brief History of Christianity ( ISBN 1841197106 )
• Bamber Gascoigne, A Brief History of the Dynasties of China ( ISBN 1841197912 )
• Bamber Gascoigne, Quest for the Golden Hare ( ISBN 0224021168 )

External links

• History world website – see About us
• Magdalene College alumni entry