What is the biggest Christmas present ever? - QI

Sdílet
Vložit
  • čas přidán 23. 12. 2022
  • Subscribe and 🔔 to the BBC 👉 bit.ly/BBCCZcamsSub
    Watch the BBC first on iPlayer 👉 bbc.in/iPlayer-Home
    Sandi Toksvig, Alan Davies and a host of comedy stars swap funny facts on every subject under the sun. It doesn't matter if they're right, as long as they're quite interesting.
    Sandi Toksvig hosts a Christmas special with Aisling Bea, Chris McCausland, Gyles Brandreth and Alan Davies.
    #BBC #QI #BBCiPlayer
    Watch QI on iPlayer
    All our TV channels and S4C are available to watch live through BBC iPlayer, although some programmes may not be available to stream online due to rights. If you would like to read more on what types of programmes are available to watch live, check the 'Are all programmes that are broadcast available on BBC iPlayer?' FAQ 👉 bbc.in/2m8ks6v.
  • Zábava

Komentáře • 61

  • @flyawaytodie
    @flyawaytodie Před rokem +64

    To add to Gyles' anecdote about Robert Todd Lincoln, I add this curious historical oddity about him: he was at his father's side when he father succumbed to John Wilkes Booth's bullet, having earlier declined to join his parents at the theater where Lincoln was shot. He was present (in his capacity as Secretary of War) in 1881 when President James Garfield was shot and killed by Charles Guiteau. Finally, Lincoln was travelling to the Pan-American Exhibition in Buffalo, NY, in 1901 when William McKinley was shot and killed by Leon Czolgosz, having been personally invited to the exhibition by McKinley.

  • @MaylarArt
    @MaylarArt Před rokem +15

    Edwin Boot saved Robert Todd Lincoln some time BEFORE Lincoln's execution, sometimes in between late 1864 and early 1865, while Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on April 14th, 1865. Some articles mention the event on the train station happening "not a month before" President Lincoln's demise. Due to the proximity of these events, some historians theorized that the two events might be connected somehow and there are stories about John secretly pushing Robert and Edwin saving him, etc. But there is little confirmation for any of that. Another less known fact is that brothers fought way before either of these events, as Edwin was ardent Union supporter, while John was passionate supporter of the Confederation. After the events in the theater, Edwin further disowned his brother (and memory on him) and forbidden his name being mentioned in his presence ever again. However, their sister, Asia, was John's supporter and she actually wrote secret memoirs about her infamous brother. Those memoirs remain the best witness to the personality of John Wilkes Booth to this very day.

    • @njcurmudgeon
      @njcurmudgeon Před rokem

      Thank you! I thought I remembered reading that it was BEFORE the assassination too. If I recall rightly, it was a train station in Jersey City, New Jersey.

    • @MaylarArt
      @MaylarArt Před rokem

      @@njcurmudgeon You are welcome! And yes, the Jersey City train station was the station in question.

  • @alexandrialeonora6542
    @alexandrialeonora6542 Před rokem +9

    That Booth/Lincoln story is incredible!

  • @laszlokaestner5766
    @laszlokaestner5766 Před rokem +42

    The biggest present (although not a Christmas present) must surely be when the British government made Queen Victoria "Empress of India" as a gift. Something she was not expecting (and neither were the Indians for that matter). Still, a whole sub-continent is pretty big as presents go.

    • @three-quartersbadger2929
      @three-quartersbadger2929 Před rokem +1

      I'd rather have a Steam Deck

    • @GecKler
      @GecKler Před rokem

      I was thinking something along those lines as well. Whole countries or regions that were donated

    • @DomWeasel
      @DomWeasel Před rokem

      As the Queen of the United Kingdom is a powerless figurehead, it didn't mean much. The equivalent of buying someone some land on the Moon.

    • @three-quartersbadger2929
      @three-quartersbadger2929 Před rokem

      @@DomWeasel Agreed. The only people with power are the corporations, and there's no use buying them anything because they already own everything.

    • @laszlokaestner5766
      @laszlokaestner5766 Před rokem

      @@DomWeasel Victoria was a lot more powerful than the current Royals.

  • @Raida7
    @Raida7 Před rokem +6

    Such a great storyteller

  • @stevevasta
    @stevevasta Před rokem +6

    "Are you going to tell us you went on holiday with Lincoln?" 🤣🤣🤣

  • @rosemaryclarke2348
    @rosemaryclarke2348 Před rokem +14

    I love Q.I; it's funny and informative!

    • @QwadLuzr
      @QwadLuzr Před rokem

      It's cobblers.

    • @eastvandb
      @eastvandb Před rokem

      @@QwadLuzr
      sometimes it's that too
      all of the above

  • @amoral_minority
    @amoral_minority Před rokem +4

    Lincoln's biggest mistake was appointing Johnson as VP.

  • @redfive5856
    @redfive5856 Před rokem +2

    Edwin Booth saved Lincoln's son before Lincoln was assasinated.

  • @beowulf1417
    @beowulf1417 Před rokem +9

    Honestly, considering the time it took to make I genuinely thought this would've been about Andrew Jackson's giant wheel of cheese.

  • @jth2d
    @jth2d Před rokem +1

    A close runner-up is when, in 1864, William T. Sherman gave the city of Savannah, GA to Abraham Lincoln “as a Christmas Gift” following its capture at the end of his famous “March to the Sea.”

    • @romulusnr
      @romulusnr Před rokem

      With a Baked Atlanta for dessert!

  • @TomCee53
    @TomCee53 Před rokem +1

    The best Christmas present in my opinion was the Christmas Armistice.

  • @somegirl558
    @somegirl558 Před rokem

    Ok, Tatcher. 👍🏻

  • @petejones879
    @petejones879 Před rokem +3

    Havnt seen the film yet lol... I'd better not tell him how titanic ends then

    • @khymaaren
      @khymaaren Před rokem +2

      Something tells me he will never see either of those films.

    • @njcurmudgeon
      @njcurmudgeon Před rokem +1

      That was the most under-appreciated joke of the show!

    • @petejones879
      @petejones879 Před rokem

      @@njcurmudgeon well thank you sir lol

  • @videoeditorbloke
    @videoeditorbloke Před rokem +3

    But what was the biggest present? I don't think Sandi finished that story!

    • @keithmills778
      @keithmills778 Před rokem +9

      The gift was amnesty to the Confederate soldiers.

    • @videoeditorbloke
      @videoeditorbloke Před rokem +2

      @@keithmills778 Ah, I missed that with Giles joining in!

    • @eastvandb
      @eastvandb Před rokem

      @@videoeditorbloke
      And, really, it's one of the ugliest gifts ever given, and the beginning of the mythologizing and justifying the real roots of the Civil War: ie. slavery. A huge part of the American population is still able to lie to themselves about this.

  • @maxscameraguy
    @maxscameraguy Před rokem

    *Jackson!!!! He's on the $20!

    • @TomCee53
      @TomCee53 Před rokem +2

      Andrew Jackson is on the $20. Lincoln’s successor was Andrew Johnson.

    • @maxscameraguy
      @maxscameraguy Před rokem

      @@TomCee53 American Public school education at it's best

  • @ZielErkenner
    @ZielErkenner Před rokem +2

    The greatest gift would be peace on earth 💜✨🕊️

  • @HunterHogan
    @HunterHogan Před rokem +6

    Let's be honest. Stephen Fry is famous for his knowledge of Britishness and the antecedents of Britishness. Sandi Toksvig is not famous for her knowledge, but that doesn't mean she isn't outrageously knowledgeable.
    When Limeys compare Stephen's and Sandi's knowledge, multiple biasses favor Stephen. 1. Stephen is more British/English than John Bull. 2. Brits evaluate Stephen in the context of his _reputation_ as an intellectual. Compare and contrast that with Hugh Laurie's reputation as an actor or Rowan Atkinson's reputation as a comedian. 3. Stephen's knowledge heavily favors the British (especially English) zeitgeist: deep knowledge of everything connected to England, the UK, the British Empire, Rome, and ancient Greece.
    Sandi's knowledge is certainly not inferior, most especially because she has much broader knowledge than Stephen. Some Brits think she doesn't know as much as Stephen because she wasted time learning about unimportant things such as anything and everything not related to the greatest, most civilized, industrial revolution inciting, slavery ending, best friend of America, massive empire building, Hitler defying nation: Great Britain.

    • @churrothiev8387
      @churrothiev8387 Před rokem +1

      So the Brits are self absorbed and self congratulatory. What else is new?

  • @QIKUGAMES-QIKU
    @QIKUGAMES-QIKU Před rokem

    Never let the TRUTH get in the way of a good story. Mark Brandon Reid.

  • @ducky5945
    @ducky5945 Před rokem

    I thought it would've been a country, or the region of a country.

  • @petejones879
    @petejones879 Před rokem +3

    Aisling looks yummy

  • @QwadLuzr
    @QwadLuzr Před rokem +6

    The best Christmas present this year is your updated, free booster!
    Safe, effective, protects others, the NHS and helps beat Putin!
    Get boosted today!
    Slava booster! 💙💛

    • @bogeybichon7000
      @bogeybichon7000 Před rokem

      are you being sarcastic?
      Beat Putin?

    • @sstills951
      @sstills951 Před rokem +2

      @@bogeybichon7000 Don't ask questions. Just get the booster.

    • @QwadLuzr
      @QwadLuzr Před rokem

      @@sstills951 Exactly. +25 Social Credit.

    • @QwadLuzr
      @QwadLuzr Před rokem

      @@bogeybichon7000 Just take it or are you a Putin apologist??

  • @sstills951
    @sstills951 Před rokem

    The best Christmas present was baby Jesus.

  • @RuudJH
    @RuudJH Před rokem

    You'd expect such a piece of trivia about Lincoln would be very well known after all this time. I never heard it, and clearly most of the audience hasn't.
    Makes me think it's made up at some point, or very hard to prove or disprove..
    Anyway... you wonder why Lincoln's son was even there, throwing himself on the tracks.

  • @QIKUGAMES-QIKU
    @QIKUGAMES-QIKU Před rokem

    Why haven't you posted ANY Christmas 2022 FULL Shows !??? Been Waiting Still.. 8 OUT OF 10 CATS DOES COUNTDOWN ALSO ? WOULD I LIE TO YOU GONE... MOCK O THE WEEK GONE .. NOTHING GOOD AT ALL ANYMORE.. TASKMASTER SUCKS

  • @idiotburns
    @idiotburns Před rokem

    Andrew Johnson was a badass

    • @vishavkishore
      @vishavkishore Před rokem

      He was bad and was an ass. That's for sure

  • @QwadLuzr
    @QwadLuzr Před rokem +3

    Consider an insect based Christmas dinner this year to save the planet!
    Delicious, nutritious and guilt free!
    🦋🐛🐜🐝🪲🐞🦗🪳🕷🦂🪰

    • @georgielancaster1356
      @georgielancaster1356 Před rokem

      You have hurt the feelings of every insect I know.
      I'll just go for the vego option.
      It SHOULD be vegan, but I am going off piste for a short while, in my wickedness.
      Why are insects better than vegan?

    • @alan_davis
      @alan_davis Před rokem

      No.

    • @maiNmusica
      @maiNmusica Před rokem

      Guilt free? How come? I prefer mine vegetarian.