Jump to content

Dan Snow

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dan Snow
MBE
Snow in 2019
Born
Daniel Robert Snow

(1978-12-03) 3 December 1978 (age 47)
Westminster, London, England
EducationBalliol College, Oxford
OccupationsBroadcaster, popular history
OrganisationElectoral Reform Society (ambassador)
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2010)​
Children3
Parents
Relatives
Websitetwitter.com/thehistoryguy

Daniel Robert Snow (born 3 December 1978) is a British-Canadian historian, author, and television presenter. He is known for his work on BBC history programmes, including Battlefield Britain and 20th Century Battlefields, and for presenting on major national events such as Trooping the Colour and the Lord Mayor's Show. Snow is the founder of History Hit, a digital history network encompassing podcasts, online video, and a streaming service. Appointed MBE in 2019 for services to history, he has also presented numerous history documentaries for Channel 5 and took part in the Endurance22 expedition that located Sir Ernest Shackleton's ship Endurance in 2022. He is an ambassador for the Electoral Reform Society and serves as president of the Council for British Archaeology.

Early life and education

[edit]

Dan Robert Snow was born on 3 December 1978 in Westminster, London.[1] He is the youngest son of Peter Snow, BBC television journalist, and Ann MacMillan, a Canadian who is managing editor emerita of CBC's London Bureau; he therefore holds dual British and Canadian nationality.[2] Through his mother, he is the nephew of the historian Margaret MacMillan and a great-great-grandson of the British Prime Minister David Lloyd George.[3]

Snow was educated in London at Westfield Primary School (now Barnes Primary School) and at St Paul's School, where he was Captain of School and rowed for its VIII. He then went to Balliol College, Oxford,[4] where his father had studied, and graduated with first-class honours in Modern History.[3][5] A keen rower since his secondary school days, he won the U-23 men's division at the 2000 British Indoor Rowing Championships[6] and rowed three times in the Boat Race. He won in 2000 and lost the controversial 2001 Boat Race, when he served as club President.[7][8]

Career

[edit]

Snow presented his first programme in October 2002, shortly after graduating from university, co-presenting the BBC's 60th anniversary special on the Battles of El Alamein with his father.[9] The two then collaborated on an eight-part documentary series, Battlefield Britain, which aired in 2004 and won a BAFTA Craft Award for special effects. In the same year, Snow won a Sony award as one of the presenters covering the Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race on the Thames.

Snow has presented on many state occasions, including the 200th anniversary celebration of the Battle of Trafalgar, Beating Retreat 2006, the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, the 90th anniversary of the First World War Armistice in November 2008, Trooping the Colour, and the Lord Mayor's Show. He again collaborated with his father to present BBC 2's 20th Century Battlefields and its print edition.[10] The series covers battles around the world and is presented in a similar fashion to Battlefield Britain.

In 2015, he founded History Hit, his own History media brand. It began as a podcast and has grown into a network encompassing a streaming service, Youtube channel, and multiple podcasts.[11]

Snow presented on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's specials, with his mother for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth in 2022 and the coronation of Charles III and Camilla the following year.

In early 2022, Snow took part in the Endurance22 expedition that located Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton's lost vessel, Endurance, 107 years after it sank in the Weddell Sea.[12] He danced with Nadiya Bychkova in the 2023 Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special.

Personal life

[edit]

On 27 November 2010, Snow married the criminologist and philanthropist Lady Edwina Louise Grosvenor,[13] the second daughter of the 6th Duke of Westminster.[14] The couple were married by the Bishop of Liverpool, James Jones, at his official residence, Bishop's Lodge.[15] They have three children, the eldest and youngest being daughters. Their home, in the New Forest, has a private beach.[16]

On 18 April 2010, Snow and a group of friends took three rigid-hulled inflatable boats from Dover to Calais to help 25 people return to Britain after they had been stranded in France by the air travel disruption caused by the Icelandic eruption. At Calais, they were told by the French authorities that they could not return to collect any more.[17]

In August 2011, he chased a group of rioters through Notting Hill in west London before tackling and performing a citizen's arrest on a looter who was fleeing from a shoe shop.[18][19]

Snow serves as president of the Council for British Archaeology and is a member of the Royal Historical Society.[20] As an atheist and a humanist, he is a patron of Humanists UK[21] and an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society.[22] He is also an advocate for political reform, serving as the Electoral Reform Society's first ambassador. He played a prominent part in the 2011 Alternative Vote referendum in the UK; after he released a viral video, the campaign used a version of it, featuring him, as their final referendum broadcast.

In August 2014, Snow was one of 200 public figures who signed a letter to The Guardian expressing their hope that Scotland would vote to remain part of the United Kingdom in the September referendum.[23] In June 2019, Snow wrote in a Twitter thread[24] that if Brexit happened and the Scottish National Party won a majority of votes in Scotland, he would "get" why Scottish people might want a second referendum, as leaving the European Union could "put up barriers" for Scotland. He was then asked whether this meant he now advised Scots to vote for independence, and he replied, "No way. One thing Brexit has taught me is the utter insanity of trying to rip countries apart".[25]

Snow was one of 16 board members of More United, which endorsed parliamentary candidates who supported its values. The movement was set up in July 2016 "to stand up for our values of opportunity, tolerance, the environment, democracy, and openness".[26]

Snow is an Honorary Captain in the Royal Naval Reserve.[27]

Television

[edit]
YearWorkChannelNotes
2002El AlameinBBC Two60th anniversary special of the Battle of El Alamein.
Co-presented with Peter Snow.[9]
2004Battlefield BritainBBC TwoWon – 2004 BAFTA Craft Awards (Visual Effects).[28]
2005Trafalgar 200BBC TwoCo-presented with Neil Oliver.[29]
2006Shipwreck: Ark RoyalBBC One
200720th Century BattlefieldsBBC TwoCo-presented with Peter Snow.
Edwardian Winners and LosersBBC Four[30]
In Living MemoryBBC One[31]
2008What Britain EarnsBBC TwoCo-presented with Peter Snow.[32]
Britain's Lost WorldBBC OneCo-presented with Kate Humble and Steve Backshall.[33]
HadrianBBC Two
BBC Wales		Won – 2009 BAFTA Cymru (Best Presenter).[34]
50 Things You Need To Know About British HistoryHistory Channel
My Family at WarBBC One[35]
2009Grouchy Young MenComedy CentralCameo (pilot only).
MontezumaBBC Two
2010Empire of the Seas: How the Navy Forged the Modern WorldBBC Two
Battle for North AmericaBBC Two[36]
Little ShipsBBC Two[37]
Dan Snow's Norman WalksBBC Four
BBC Two		[38]
How the Celts Saved BritainBBC Four[39]
2011Filthy CitiesBBC Two
China's Terracotta ArmyBBC One[40]
National Treasures LiveBBC One
2012Dig WW2 with Dan SnowBBC One Northern Ireland
History Channel		Three-part series investigating stories of World War II battlegrounds through excavations and dives.[41]
Battle CastleHistory Channel
Discovery Channel
Rome's Lost EmpireBBC One
2013Locomotion: Dan Snow's History of RailwaysBBC TwoThree-part series exploring the history of rail transport in Great Britain from its beginnings in the 18th century until the World War II.[42]
A History of Syria with Dan SnowBBC TwoThis World episode exploring Syria's complex past and the roots of the current crisis.[43]
The Dambusters: 70 Years OnBBC TwoEpisode marking the 70th anniversary of the Dambuster raids, presenting veterans accounts of the events.[44]
D-Day: The Last HeroesBBC OneTwo-part series exploring the story of the D-Day landings planning and execution through the accounts of surviving veterans.[45]
Dan Snow's History of CongoBBC TwoThis World episode exploring Congo's history of slavery, colonialism, endemic corruption and war.[46]
Airport LiveBBC TwoOriginally intended to be one of the presenters, but was unable to because of family reasons; involved in pre-recorded clips.
Have I Got News For YouBBC One
2014Operation Grand Canyon with Dan SnowBBC TwoTwo-part series recreating John Wesley Powell's 1869 trip of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, where a team of nine men in period-correct boats and equipment navigates the canyon's 280 miles of river.[47]
Dan Snow's History of the Winter OlympicsBBC TwoEpisode exploring the 20th and 21st centuries political upheaval impact at the 90 years of the Winter Olympic Games.[48]
The Birth of Empire: The East India CompanyBBC TwoTwo-part series exploring the story of the East India Company and how it changed British lifestyle, creating an empire and today's global trading systems.[49]
2015Armada: 12 Days to Save EnglandBBC TwoThree-part series exploring the story of the Spanish Armada using discovered documents and computer-generated imagery.[50]
World's Busiest Railway 2015BBC TwoFour-part series, exploring the science, systems and staff at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai.
Co-presented with Anita Rani and Robert Llewellyn.[51]
2016The Vikings UncoveredBBC One90 minute episode exploring the Vikings expansion to the west and uncovering new settlements.[52]
New York: America's Busiest CityBBC Two3x60 minute episodes exploring New York City, co-presented with Anita Rani, Ant Anstead and Ade Adepitan
Hunting the Nazi Gold TrainBBC Two60-minute episode exploring Project Riese, Schloss Fürstenstein and the search for the "Nazi gold train".
Operation Gold RushBBC Two3x60 minute episodes exploring the Klondike gold rush.
Dan Snow on Lloyd George: My Great-Great-GrandfatherBBC Wales60 minute episode exploring the personal life and political career of David Lloyd George. First broadcast on 7 December 2016.[53]
20171066: A Year to Conquer EnglandBBC Two3x60 minute episodes exploring the events of 1066 in English history
2020Tutankhamun With Dan SnowChannel Five4x60 minute episodes about the history of Tutankhamun.[54]
The DambustersChannel Five3x60 minute episodes about the RAF's 617 'Dambusters' squadron during WW2.[55]
2022Dan Snow: Into the Valley of the KingsChannel FiveDocumentary exploring the history of the Valley of the Kings.[56]
Into Dinosaur Valley with Dan SnowChannel FiveDocumentary about America's most significant dinosaur fossil discoveries.[57]
2023The Black DeathChannel FiveTwo-part documentary series.[58]
Pompeii: The Discovery with Dan SnowChannel FiveDocumentary about the ancient Roman city of Pompeii.[59]
2024Atlantis: The Discovery with Dan SnowChannel FiveDocumentary about the lost city of Atlantis[60]
Stonehenge: The Discovery with Dan SnowChannel FiveDocumentary about the prehistoric megalithic Stonehenge[61]
The Terracotta Army with Dan SnowChannel FiveDocumentary about the mausoleum complex of the First Qin Emperor of China and its Terracotta Army[62]
The Colosseum with Dan SnowChannel FiveTwo-part documentary (The Arena of Death and Blood & Sand) about the history of the Colosseum[63]
2025Dan Snow & the Lost CityChannel FiveDocumentary about Machu Picchu.[64]
Pompeii: Life in the City with Dan SnowChannel FiveFour-part documentary series.[65]
King Tut: The Discovery with Dan SnowChannel FiveDocumentary about King Tut.[66]
2026Egypt With Dan SnowChannel FiveThree-part documentary series.[67]
The Odyssey with Dan SnowChannel FiveOne-off documentary.[68]

Radio

[edit]
  • Art in the Trenches, Radio 4
  • At War with Wellington, Radio 4
  • Prince of Wales, Radio 4, a look at the history of the office of Prince of Wales and the current occupant

Online

[edit]

Books

[edit]

Awards and honours

[edit]

Snow was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2019 Birthday Honours for services to history.[71] In 2019 Snow was awarded a Doctor of Letters (DLitt) honoris causa from Lancaster University.[72] Other awards and honours include:

  • BAFTA (Visual Effects) for 'Battlefield Britain'
  • Sony Award (Best Live Coverage) for Boat Race Day
  • BAFTA Cymru (Best Presenter) for 'Hadrian'
  • Maritime Media Award for best television, film or radio for 'Empire of the Seas'
  • 2011 History Makers Award (Most Innovative Production) for 'Battle for North America' a 1-hour special on Snow's book 'Death or Victory.' Produced by Snow's production company Ballista
  • Voice of the Listener & Viewer Special Award 2013

Ancestry

[edit]
Ancestors of Dan Snow
16. Rev. George D'Oyly Snow
8. Sir Thomas D'Oyly Snow
17. Maria Jane Barlow
4. Brig. John FitzGerald Snow
18. Maj. Gen. John Talbot Coke
9. Charlotte Geraldine Coke
19. Charlotte FitzGerald
2. Peter Snow
20. John Pringle
10. Seton Sidney Pringle
21. Maria Adelaide King
5. Margaret Mary Pringle
22. Dr. Andrew McMunn
11. Ethel Louisa McMunn
23. Mary Jane McMunn
1. Daniel Robert Snow
24. John MacMillan
12. Robert Thurston MacMillan
25. Mary McWilliams
6. Robert Laidlaw MacMillan
26. William Laidlaw
13. Elizabeth Morrell Laidlaw
27. Sarah Wyllie
3. Ann Elizabeth MacMillan
28. Dr. Robert Davies Evans
14. Sir Thomas John Evans
29. Elizabeth Ann Jones
7. Eluned Jane Evans
30. David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor
15. Lady Olwen Elizabeth Lloyd George
31. Dame Margaret Lloyd George

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Archived from the original on 19 December 2019. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  2. ↑ "Debrett's People of Today". Archived from the original on 16 March 2016. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Dan Snow: History Boy". The Independent. 26 July 2008. Archived from the original on 23 November 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  4. ↑ "Balliol College Annual Record 2001". University of Oxford. Archived from the original on 23 April 2013. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
  5. ↑ "Dan Snow: The historian who's not attached to the past". The Independent. 2 May 2011. Archived from the original on 23 September 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  6. ↑ "Rowing: Cracknell refuses to crack indoors". The Daily Telegraph. 27 November 2000.
  7. ↑ "Boat Race crews evenly matched". BBC Sport. 21 March 2001.
  8. ↑ "Cambridge win dramatic Boat Race". BBC Sport. 24 March 2001.
  9. 1 2 "Battleplan: El Alamein". BBC. 17 October 2002. Archived from the original on 27 August 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  10. ↑ "An audience with Peter and Dan Snow". BBC. 12 November 2007.
  11. ↑ Bennion, Chris (31 May 2025). "Dan Snow interview: 'My father said I was nuts to get into podcasting'". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 2 October 2025. Retrieved 3 March 2026.
  12. ↑ "Endurance: Shackleton's lost ship is found in Antarctic". BBC News. 9 March 2022. Archived from the original on 12 March 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2022.
  13. ↑ "Dan Snow weds duke's daughter". Times of Malta. PA Media. 1 December 2010. Archived from the original on 9 August 2025. Retrieved 27 July 2025.
  14. ↑ Burke's Peerage (2003). Charles Mosley (ed.). Burke's Peerage & Baronetage, 107th edn. London: Burke's Peerage & Gentry Ltd. p. 4131 (WESTMINSTER, D). ISBN 0-9711966-2-1.
  15. ↑ Administrator, chesterchronicle (22 July 2013). "Lady Edwina Grosvenor marries TV presenter and historian Dan Snow". Cheshire Live. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  16. ↑ Julia Llewellyn Smith (22 January 2022). "History hunk? I don't feel like a beautiful person". Times Weekend. London. Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  17. ↑ "Presenter Dan Snow's bid to rescue tourists halted". BBC News. 18 April 2010.
  18. ↑ Myers, Rupert (9 August 2011). "A legal guide to citizen's arrest". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 February 2013.
  19. ↑ "TV presenter Dan Snow 'sat on a looter' in London riot". BBC News. 10 August 2011. Archived from the original on 22 September 2012. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  20. ↑ Jepson, Ledgard. "Council for British Archaeology – President and Trustees". Archived from the original on 25 September 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  21. ↑ "Evening Express the Press and Journal combined". 16 November 2016. Archived from the original on 4 July 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  22. ↑ "National Secular Society Honorary Associates". Archived from the original on 2 August 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2019. National Secular Society. Retrieved 27 July 2019
  23. ↑ "Celebrities' open letter to Scotland – full text and list of signatories". The Guardian. London. 7 August 2014. Archived from the original on 26 June 2019. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  24. ↑ Snow, Dan [@thehistoryguy] (7 June 2019). "It is no coincidence that the obsession with undiluted sovereignty has grown as memories of catastrophic inter-state wars have faded" (Tweet). Retrieved 7 June 2019 – via Twitter.
  25. ↑ Snow, Dan [@thehistoryguy] (7 June 2019). "No Way" (Tweet). Retrieved 7 June 2019 – via Twitter.
  26. ↑ "The team". More United. Archived from the original on 2 April 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  27. ↑ "No. 63542". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 November 2021. p. 21618.
  28. ↑ "CRAFT NOMINATIONS 2004". BAFTA. Archived from the original on 13 May 2008.
  29. ↑ "BBC TV commemorates Trafalgar 200 with a bang". BBC. 5 October 2005. Archived from the original on 19 August 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  30. ↑ Edwardian Winners and Losers Archived 19 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine. BBC Four.
  31. ↑ In Living Memory Archived 19 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine. BBC One.
  32. ↑ "Telegraph pick: What Britain Earns (BBC2)". The Daily Telegraph. 10 January 2008. Archived from the original on 19 April 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  33. ↑ Britain's Lost World Archived 13 February 2019 at the Wayback Machine. BBC One.
  34. ↑ "BBC Wales' 11 Bafta Cymru winners". BBC News. 11 May 2009. Archived from the original on 21 May 2009. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  35. ↑ "My Family at War, Episode 1". BBC One. 2008. Archived from the original on 19 August 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  36. ↑ Battle for North America Archived 14 March 2021 at the Wayback Machine. BBC Two.
  37. ↑ "Last Night's TV: Little Ships, BBC2 / Pulse, BBC3". The Independent. 4 June 2010. Archived from the original on 14 June 2010. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  38. ↑ Dan Snow's Norman Walks Archived 25 January 2021 at the Wayback Machine. BBC Four
  39. ↑ How the Celts Saved Britain. BBC Four
  40. ↑ China's Terracotta Army Archived 27 July 2018 at the Wayback Machine. BBC One.
  41. ↑ "Dig WW2 with Dan Snow". BBC. Archived from the original on 21 March 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  42. ↑ "Locomotion: Dan Snow's History of Railways". BBC. Archived from the original on 1 November 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  43. ↑ "A History of Syria with Dan Snow". BBC. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  44. ↑ "The Dambusters: 70 Years On". BBC. Archived from the original on 15 December 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  45. ↑ "D-Day: The Last Heroes". BBC. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  46. ↑ "Dan Snow's History of Congo". BBC. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  47. ↑ "Operation Grand Canyon with Dan Snow". BBC. Archived from the original on 19 August 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  48. ↑ "Dan Snow's History of the Winter Olympics". BBC. Archived from the original on 10 September 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  49. ↑ "The Birth of Empire: The East India Company". BBC. Archived from the original on 18 September 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  50. ↑ "Armada: 12 Days to Save England". BBC. Archived from the original on 23 August 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  51. ↑ "World's Busiest Railway 2015". BBC. Archived from the original on 1 November 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  52. ↑ "The Vikings Uncovered". BBC. Archived from the original on 3 April 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  53. ↑ "BBC – Dan Snow uncovers the secrets of his great-great-grandfather, David Lloyd George – Media Centre". Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
  54. ↑ "Tutankhamun With Dan Snow". channel5.com. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  55. ↑ "The Dambusters". channel5.com. Archived from the original on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  56. ↑ "Dan Snow: Into the Valley of the Kings". radiotimes.com. Archived from the original on 19 August 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  57. ↑ "Into Dinosaur Valley with Dan Snow". radiotimes.com. Archived from the original on 15 November 2022. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  58. ↑ "The Black Death". radiotimes.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2023. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  59. ↑ "Pompeii: The Discovery with Dan Snow". radiotimes.com. Archived from the original on 6 April 2023. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  60. ↑ "Atlantis: The Discovery with Dan Snow". radiotimes.com. Archived from the original on 18 March 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  61. ↑ "Stonehenge: The Discovery with Dan Snow". radiotimes.com. Archived from the original on 25 March 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  62. ↑ "The Terracotta Army with Dan Snow". radiotimes.com. Archived from the original on 21 June 2024. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  63. ↑ "The Colosseum: The Arena Of Death with Dan Snow". radiotimes.com. Archived from the original on 21 November 2024. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  64. ↑ "Dan Snow & the Lost City". radiotimes.com. Archived from the original on 30 May 2025. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
  65. ↑ "Pompeii: Life in the City with Dan Snow". radiotimes.com. Archived from the original on 9 August 2025. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  66. ↑ "King Tut: The Discovery with Dan Snow". tvguide.co.uk. Archived from the original on 14 November 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  67. ↑ "Egypt With Dan Snow Preview (5)". tvzoneuk.com. Archived from the original on 26 April 2026. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  68. ↑ "The Odyssey with Dan Snow". tvguide.co.uk. Retrieved 10 July 2026.
  69. ↑ acast. "Dan Snow's History Hit on acast". acast. Archived from the original on 9 April 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
  70. ↑ "HPP: THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN | feat. Dan Snow". YouTube. 21 February 2021. Archived from the original on 10 September 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
  71. ↑ "No. 62666". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 June 2019. p. B21.
  72. ↑ Honorary award – Dan Snow, archived from the original on 12 December 2019, retrieved 12 December 2019
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dan_Snow&oldid=1364579870"