Peter Snow

2025-10-17T15:59:55Z

2A00:23C7:B516:DE01:FD81:C741:85F2:38EE:

{{Short description|British television presenter (born 1938)}}
{{Other people}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2012}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Peter Snow
| honorific_suffix = {{postnom|country=GBR|size=100|CBE}}
| image = snowheader.jpg
| caption = Snow in 2009
| birth_name = Peter John Snow
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1938|4|20|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Dublin]], Ireland<ref name="bbcpress"/>
| known_for = [[Swingometer]]
| television = {{ubl|[[ITN]] Defence and Diplomatic Correspondent (1966–1979)|ITN General Election programmes (1966–1979)|[[Newsnight]] (1980–1997)|[[BBC]] General Election programmes (1983–2005)|[[Tomorrow's World]] (1997–2000)}}
| alma_mater = [[Balliol College, Oxford]]
| occupation = {{hlist|[[Television]] journalist|radio broadcaster|historian}}
| years active = 1962-present
| spouse(s) = {{ubl|{{marriage|Alison Carter|1964|1973|end=div}}|{{marriage|Ann MacMillan|1976}}}}
| children = 6; including [[Dan Snow|Dan]]
}}

'''Peter John Snow''' {{postnom|country=GBR|CBE}} (born 20 April 1938) is a British radio and television presenter and historian. Between 1969 and 2005, he was an analyst of general election results, first on [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] and later for the [[BBC]]. He presented ''[[Newsnight]]'' from its launch in 1980 until 1997. He has presented a number of documentaries, including some with his son, [[Dan Snow]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2005/10_october/06/snow.shtml |title=Peter Snow steps down from BBC election coverage |publisher=BBC Press Office |date=6 October 2005 |access-date=11 May 2017}}</ref>

==Early life==
Snow was born in [[Dublin]], the son of John FitzGerald Snow and Margaret Mary Pringle.{{CN|date=December 2024}} He is the grandson of First World War general [[Thomas Snow (British Army officer)|Sir Thomas D'Oyly Snow]]; first cousin of [[Jon Snow (journalist)|Jon Snow]], the presenter of ''[[Channel 4 News]]'' from 1989 to 2021; nephew of schoolmaster and bishop [[George D'Oyly Snow]]; and brother-in-law of historian-writer [[Margaret MacMillan]]. He is the father of fellow TV presenter [[Dan Snow]].

He spent part of his early childhood in [[Benghazi]], [[Libya]], where his father was stationed. His father became deputy Fortress commander at [[Gibraltar]] in 1956.<ref>{{cite web|date=January 2006 |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/biographies/biogs/news/petersnow.shtml |title=Biographies, Peter Snow |publisher=BBC Press Office |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20061231203749/http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/biographies/biogs/news/petersnow.shtml |archive-date=31 December 2006 }}</ref>

==Education==
Snow was educated at [[Wellington College, Berkshire|Wellington College]], an [[independent school]] in the village of [[Crowthorne]] in [[Berkshire]], and subsequently studied [[Literae humaniores|Greats]] at [[Balliol College, Oxford]], where he was taught by classicist and ancient historian [[Russell Meiggs]] and moral philosopher [[R. M. Hare]]. From 1956 to 1958 he did [[Conscription in the United Kingdom|National Service]] as a [[junior officer]] in the [[Somerset Light Infantry]], serving in [[Plymouth]] and [[Warminster]].<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=41084 |date=28 May 1957 |page=3236 |supp=y}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette |issue=41578 |date=16 December 1958 |page=7762 |supp=y}}</ref>

==Life and career==
Snow was a foreign correspondent, Defence and Diplomatic Correspondent, and occasional newscaster for Britain's [[Independent Television News]] (ITN). He also appeared as an election analyst and co-presenter of ITN's General Election programmes throughout the late 1960s and 1970s. He joined the organisation in 1962.<ref name="bbcpress">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/biographies/biogs/news/petersnow.shtml |title=Peter Snow Biography |publisher=BBC Press Office |access-date=2008-08-07 |date=January 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061231203749/http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/biographies/biogs/news/petersnow.shtml |archive-date=31 December 2006 }}</ref> He gained a much higher profile after he was recruited in 1979 to be the main presenter of the new late evening [[BBC Two|BBC 2]] in-depth news programme ''[[Newsnight]]'', which began almost a year later than planned, in January 1980.<ref name="webbio">{{cite web |url=http://www.petersnow.co.uk/ |title=Peter Snow CBE |publisher=Peter Snow |access-date=2008-08-07 }}</ref> He left ''Newsnight'' in 1997 and presented ''[[Tomorrow's World]]'' (with [[Philippa Forrester]]) and the [[BBC Radio 4]] quizzes ''[[Masterteam]]'' and ''[[Brain of Britain]]'', amongst other projects. At the Royal Television Society in 1998, Snow won the Judges' Award for services to broadcasting.

Snow has been involved as an election analyst and co-presenter in the live [[United Kingdom general elections|General Election]] results programmes for many years, first at ITN for five General Elections (1966–1979) and later at the BBC for a further six (1983–2005). He presented in-depth statistical analyses of the election results at both ITN and the BBC, and at the BBC took over responsibility for this in 1983, following the death of [[Robert McKenzie (psephologist)|Robert McKenzie]], and became largely associated with McKenzie's BBC "[[Swingometer]]" when it was reinstated in 1992. In his presenting, he often made use of props and graphics. During the Falklands War in 1982 and the [[Gulf War|First Gulf War]] in early 1991, he used a sandpit to illustrate the progress of the combat. In 1994, he parodied his election role by providing analysis of the entries for the [[Eurovision Song Contest]] in the BBC's two contest preview shows ahead of the final in Dublin. His data analysis predicted that either France or the United Kingdom would win. They finished seventh and tenth respectively.{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}

Snow survived a plane crash at [[Port Blakely, Bainbridge Island, Washington]] on 1 October 1999 when the [[de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver]], registration number N9766Z, in which he was a passenger hit trees during a film project for the BBC.<ref name="BBC991003">{{cite news |title=Snow survives plane crash |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=1999-10-03 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/463656.stm |access-date=2010-05-19}}</ref>

Along with his son, [[Dan Snow|Dan]], Snow presented 'Battleplan: El Alamein' for the BBC in October 2002 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the allied defeat of Rommel's Afrika Korps. They then went on in 2004 to make the eight-part BBC series ''[[Battlefield Britain]]'', covering battles on British soil from [[Boudicca]]'s struggle with the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] to the [[Battle of Britain]]. They demonstrated the hardships that the much smaller soldiers must have faced (Peter is 6'5" and Dan is 6'6"). They reunited to host ''[[20th Century Battlefields]]'' for [[BBC 2]] and the [[Military Channel]] in 2006. This covered battles all around the world from the Battle of Amiens in the First World War in 1918 to the Gulf War of 1990–1, and was presented in similar fashion to the first Battlefield Britain. Peter and Dan Snow authored BBC books with the same titles to coincide with the TV shows.

Peter and Dan Snow also presented "Whose Britain is it anyway?", a survey of the ownership of Britain's countryside, in 2006, "What makes Britain rich?" in early 2007 and "What Britain earns" in 2008. Peter and Dan have also made two history series for BBC Radio Four on the [[Edward, the Black Prince|Black Prince]], on [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Wellington's]] [[Peninsular War]], and the story of the [[Royal Flying Corps]]. He also presented "Random Edition" over a number of years, a Radio Four programme that examined in detail the stories in a newspaper chosen at random from one day in history.

On 6 October 2005, the BBC announced that Snow would cease working on election broadcasts. Snow said "I shall be over 70 at the next general election and that, frankly, is a bit old to be dancing around in front of huge graphic displays."{{citation needed|date=December 2019}} In July 2006, Snow presented "Pompeii Live" for Channel 5, a live outside broadcast telling the story of the Roman towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum. In January 2008, while presenting ''What Britain Earns'', a BBC programme about salaries in the UK alongside his son, Snow admitted to earning around £100,000 a year. In the summer of 2008, Peter presented a six part series for Channel 5, "Brits who Made the Modern World", a celebration of great twentieth century British engineers and inventors. In August 2008, Snow appeared in the [[Reality television|reality TV]] [[talent show]]-themed [[television series]], ''[[Maestro (British TV series)|Maestro]]'' on [[BBC Two]].<ref name="BBC080523">
{{cite press release
| title = Eight passionate amateurs bid to become BBC Two's Maestro
| publisher = BBC
| date = 2008-05-23
| url = http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2008/05_may/23/maestro.shtml
| access-date = 2008-05-24}}</ref>

In July 2009, to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the NASA Moon landings, ITN produced five special 10-minute programmes for [[ITV1|ITV]] titled ''Mission to the Moon – News from 1969''. Snow participated in these programmes, acting as a correspondent alongside former ITN colleague [[John Suchet]], the presenter of the specials. Snow also presented a special on BBC Radio 4 focusing on ''Britain's First Day of War in 1939''. In June 2013, Snow presented ''D-Day As it Happens'' for Channel 4.

In July 2016, Snow presented ''[[Trainspotting Live]]'' – a three part television series about trains and trainspotting on [[BBC Four]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/meet-the-stars-of-new-tv-show-trainspotting-live/ |title=Meet the stars of new TV show 'Trainspotting Live' |work=The Telegraph|date=2016-07-11 |access-date=2016-07-11}}</ref>
In June 2018 Peter presented a five-part series for Channel Four ''Great Train Restorations'' which created a so-called Time Train from four refurbished railway carriages.
In July 2019 Peter presented ''Planespotting Live'' for BBC4 with co-presenter Andi Peters.

== Books ==
In addition to presenting programmes, Snow has written a number of books besides the ones written with his son, Dan. In 1970, he wrote "Leila’s Hijack War" with a journalist colleague, David Phillips, telling the story of the international crisis that was caused by Palestinian guerrillas, including [[Leila Khaled]], who hijacked three airliners and blew them up on a desert airstrip.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/products/leila-s-hijack-war-book-peter-snow-9780330028103 |title=Leila's Hijack War by Peter Snow |website=worldofbooks.com |access-date=2024-12-04}}</ref> In 1972, he wrote "Hussein", the Biography of King [[Hussein of Jordan]].<ref>{{cite book|title=Hussein: A Biography |id={{ASIN|0214654265|country=uk}} }}</ref> In 2010. Snow published "To War with [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Wellington]]", the story of the Iron Duke's campaigns from Portugal to [[Battle of Waterloo|Waterloo]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/peter-snow/to-war-with-wellington/9781848544550/ |title=To War with Wellington by Peter Snow |date=24 April 2019 |publisher=Hachette UK |isbn=978-1-84854-455-0 |access-date=2024-12-04}}</ref> In 2013, he published "When Britain burned the White House", the story of the [[Burning of Washington|1814 British invasion of Washington]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/peter-snow/when-britain-burned-the-white-house/9781848546127/ |title=When Britain Burned the White House by Peter Snow |publisher=Hachette UK |isbn=978-1-84854-612-7 |access-date=2024-12-04}}</ref>

In 2015, he published "The Battle of Waterloo Experience" with his son Dan on the occasion of the bicentenary of the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.napoleon.org/en/magazine/publications/the-battle-of-waterloo-experience/ |title=The Battle of Waterloo Experience |website=napoleon.org |access-date=2024-12-04}}</ref> In 2016, they went on to write "Treasures of British History, The Nation's History told through its 50 Most Important Documents".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.waterstones.com/book/treasures-of-british-history/dan-snow/peter-snow/9780233005621 |title=Treasures of British History: The Nation's Story Told Through Its 50 Most Important Documents |website=waterstones.com |access-date=2024-12-04}}</ref>

In 2017, Peter and his wife, Ann MacMillan of the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] (CBC), wrote "War Stories, Gripping Tales of Courage, Cunning and Compassion", which was published by John Murray.<ref>{{cite book|title=War Stories: Gripping Tales of Courage, Cunning and Compassion |id={{ASIN|1473618274|country=uk}} }}</ref>
In 2020, Peter and Ann wrote "Treasures of World History, the Story of Civilisation in 50 documents" published by Welbeck. In 2022 Peter and Ann wrote - also published by Welbeck - "Kings and Queens, the real lives of the English Monarchs".

==Personal life==
Snow has been married twice, and has six children from three relationships.<ref name="history boy">{{cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/dan-snow-history-boy-876350.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220526/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/dan-snow-history-boy-876350.html |archive-date=26 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Dan Snow: History boy|date=26 July 2008|website=The Independent}}</ref> His eldest son, French citizen Matthieu, was born before his first marriage, although Snow was not aware of his existence until he was an adult. He married Alison Carter in 1964 and the couple had a son (Shane) and a daughter (Shuna).<ref name="history boy"/> They divorced nine years later.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jn_GG55gKm8C&q=Peter+Snow+Lloyd+George+Ann+MacMillan&pg=PA1577|title=The International Who's Who 2004|first=Europa|last=Publications|date=3 April 2019|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=978-1-85743-217-6}}</ref>

In 1976 Snow married Ann MacMillan (of the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] since 1981), with whom he has a son, [[Dan Snow|Dan]] (who is married to [[Lady Edwina Grosvenor]], daughter of the [[Gerald Grosvenor, 6th Duke of Westminster|6th Duke of Westminster]]), and two daughters, Rebecca and Kate.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://howtospendit.ft.com/|title=Home – How To Spend It|website=Financial Times}}</ref> His second wife and [[Margaret MacMillan|sister-in-law]] are great-granddaughters of former British Prime Minister [[David Lloyd George]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.llgc.org.uk/fileadmin/documents/pdf/Dalen_5s.pdf|title=Lloyd George connection}}</ref>

Snow was appointed [[Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) in the [[2006 New Year Honours]] for his services to Broadcasting.<ref>{{London Gazette |issue=57855 |date=31 December 2005 |page=8 |supp=y}}</ref> His hobbies include [[model railway]]s, and he has an OO gauge layout installed in his loft.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_9251000/9251362.stm | work=BBC News | title=Peter Snow shows John his train set | date=3 December 2010}}</ref> In August 2014, Snow was one of 200 public figures who were signatories to a letter to ''[[The Guardian]]'' expressing their hope that Scotland would vote to remain part of the United Kingdom in September's [[2014 Scottish independence referendum|referendum on that issue]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/aug/07/celebrities-open-letter-scotland-independence-full-text |title=Celebrities' open letter to Scotland – full text and list of signatories |work=The Guardian |location=London |date=7 August 2014 |access-date=26 August 2014}}</ref>

He is the cousin of fellow journalist and broadcaster [[Jon Snow (journalist)|Jon Snow]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.thetimes.com/article/jon-and-peter-snow-on-rivalry-and-why-jon-was-chucked-out-of-university-gfmltrvjm |title=Jon and Peter Snow on rivalry and — why Jon was chucked out of university |website=[[The Times]] |date=2020-10-18}}</ref>

==Works==
*Peter Snow and David Philips, ''Leila's Hijack War''. Pan Books, 1970, {{ISBN|0-330-02810-3}}
*Peter Snow, ''Hussein, a Biography.'' Barrie and Jenkins, 1972, {{ISBN|0-214-65426-5}}
*Peter Snow, Dan Snow, ''Battlefield Britain: From Boudicca to the Battle of Britain,'' {{ISBN|978-0-563-48789-0}}
*{{cite book|author1=Peter Snow|author2=Dan Snow|title=20th Century Battlefields|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZdVFJroN_GwC|date=2007|publisher=Ebury Publishing|isbn=978-1-4481-4059-6}}
*Peter Snow ''To War with Wellington: From the Peninsula to Waterloo'', John Murray, 2010, {{ISBN|978-1-84854-103-0}}
*Peter Snow [https://books.google.com/books?id=czRkAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA141 ''When Britain Burned the White House: The 1814 Invasion of Washington'']. John Murray, London; St. Martin's Press, U.S., 2013, {{ISBN|978-1-4668-4894-8}}
*Peter Snow and Dan Snow, ''The Battle of Waterloo Experience,'' Andre Deutsch, 2015, {{ISBN|978-0-233-00447-1}}
*Peter Snow and Dan Snow, ''Treasures of British History, The Nation's History Told Through Its 50 Most Important Documents.'' Andre Deutsch, 2016 {{ISBN|978-0-233-00218-7}}
*Peter Snow and Ann MacMillan, ''War Stories, Gripping Tales of Courage, Cunning and Compassion''. John Murray 2017 {{ISBN|978-1-47361-829-9}}
*Peter Snow and Ann MacMillan, ''Treasures of World History, The Story of Civilisation in 50 Documents''. Welbeck 2020 {{ISBN|978-0-23300-604-8}}.
*Peter Snow and Ann MacMillan, ''Kings and Queens, The Real Lives of the English Monarchs''. Welbeck 2022 {{ISBN|978-1-80279-003-0}}.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://www.petersnow.co.uk|Peter Snow}} – official site
* [https://david-lawson.blogspot.com/2007/11/meeting-your-heroes.html Peter Snow talks about his career to David Lawson]
* [[BBC News Online]] – [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/463656.stm Peter Snow survives plane crash]
*BBC News Online – [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/4316866.stm Peter Snow hangs up swingometer]
* [[BBC News Online]] (Peter Snow remembers...) – [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/newsnight25/4209789.stm]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070327055801/http://www.randomhouse.ca/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780563522959 RandomHouse article] – The World's Greatest 20th Century Battles
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070922012404/http://www.ludlowfestival.co.uk/show_article.php?aID=161 An Audience with Peter Snow] was the highlight of the 2007 Ludlow Festival on 7 July.
* [https://www.bbc.co.uk/archive/swingometer BBC Archive – Swingometer]

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Snow, Peter}}
[[Category:1938 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century British Army personnel]]
[[Category:Alumni of Balliol College, Oxford]]
[[Category:British game show hosts]]
[[Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:People educated at Wellington College, Berkshire]]
[[Category:People from Artane, Dublin]]
[[Category:Psephologists]]
[[Category:Snow family|Peter]]
[[Category:Somerset Light Infantry officers]]
[[Category:Military personnel from Dublin (city)]]

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Peter Snow