About Claus Toksvig
Lived 1929 – 1988 (aged 59). Claus Toksvig was a Danish journalist, television presenter and politician.
Journalism and broadcasting Commencing with five years spent working on the BBC World Service's Danish-language broadcasts, in London, Toksvig held numerous appointments in journalism and broadcasting.
He was part of the original team of reporters on TV Avisen, the first daily evening television news programme broadcast by the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR) in 1965; and in 1967 he was posted to New York City as DR's first ever permanent foreign correspondent.
After fifteen years of continuous service as a foreign correspondent, in New York and London; he resigned his position with DR in a dispute over working conditions and their intention to rotate him out of his posting to London, where his family were settled and he had established a permanent home.
As a broadcaster, he is probably most popularly remembered as the man providing the live Danish commentary on the Apollo 11 mission and Neil Armstrong's first Moon walk.
1951–1956: Production assistant with the BBC World Service's Danish-language broadcasts, in London.
He served three successive terms as the Vice-Chairman of the European Democrats (ED) grouping within the parliament, was for a short time one of the fourteen Vice-Presidents of the European Parliament, chaired the EU delegation for relations with Norway and served as a member on the European Parliament's standing committees on: Institutional Affairs; Political Affairs; and Energy, Research and Technology.
Claus Toksvig died before the completion of his first term as an MEP.
Personal life Claus Toksvig was born in Copenhagen in 1929 and was the second child of Harald Toksvig, a well-known editor and illustrator, and Karen Frederikke Clauson-Kaas.
In 1954, whilst working for the BBC World Service in London, Toksvig married Julie Anne Brett
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Important facts
Family & relationships
People in Claus Toksvig's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Claus Toksvig's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Claus Toksvig?
Danish journalist (1929–1988)
When was Claus Toksvig born?
Claus Toksvig was born on 21 October 1929 in Copenhagen.
When did Claus Toksvig die?
Claus Toksvig died on 5 November 1988.
What was Claus Toksvig's occupation?
Claus Toksvig was a journalist, television presenter and politician.
What nationality was Claus Toksvig?
Claus Toksvig was Danish.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Claus Toksvig. https://biography.guide/claus-toksvig/
MLA: "Claus Toksvig." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/claus-toksvig/.
Chicago: "Claus Toksvig." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/claus-toksvig/.
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