Sir David Attenborough, the man, the myth, the legend, is officially turning 98 years old on May 8th of this year. That in itself is a massive accomplishment, but this is a person who has countless achievements to his name. He’s thought to be one of the most well-traveled people on the planet, has won countless awards, written many books and voiced television shows, not to mention that he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 1985. To celebrate one of the greatest men of our time, we’ll be sharing some facts you may not have known about Sir David Attenborough to give you a glimpse into the life and legacy of this iconic figure.
Born on May 8th, 1926, Attenborough grew up in Leicester, living on a college campus where his father was the principal. He had a strong interest in animals from an early age and earned his first pennies at age 11, selling newts that he caught to the University College for 3 pence each. He also spent much of his childhood searching for fossils and indulging in his love of nature.
He studied at Cambridge University and received a degree in natural sciences before going on to work at an educational publishing house and serving in the Royal Navy. Then, as he is best known for, he became an integral part of the BBC (although he was rejected from the first job he applied to there) and went on to create his first program with them called Zoo Quest. As part of this series, he travelled all over the world filming animals in zoos and in the wild, and the show became wildly popular. This was his first big success and launched Attenborough as a legend in the world of nature documentaries.
He went on to film, direct, produce and star in many more shows for the BBC and now has written 48 programs, as well as produced 14 others, not to mention the countless narrations he has done, including ‘Blue Planet’, ‘Planet Earth’ and ‘Frozen Planet’. As a result of these, he has received 29 award nominations, winning 19 of them, including three Primetime Emmys. Attenborough is still the only person to have won BAFTAs for programs in black-and-white, color, HD and 3D.
Attenborough is also an inspiration for many people and this includes celebrities that we all know and love. Of course, we all know about his close connections with the royal family and his friendship with the late-Queen Elizabeth. But his list of celebrity admirers is longer than his list of awards. He has been interviewed by David Beckham, Billie Eilish and Dame Judi Dench, and even inspired other celebrities to become part of a BBC campaign for the Earth’s protection including DJ Target, Ian Wright and Dua Lipa.
Of course, all of this is very impressive and Sir Attenborough has lived a very full life. However, he still continues with what he considers the most important reason for his career: conservation. He served as the President of the Royal Society for Nature Conservation, and also sits on the council of many other organizations, including The Conservation Volunteers, Butterfly Conservation and the World Land Trust. In 2021, he was also the People’s Advocate at COP26, showing his support for climate action.
All of this, and David Attenborough still remains humble, down to earth and hardworking, that many people respect and look up to as an idol.
Here’s to a wonderful 98th birthday Sir Attenborough and hopefully, many more to come!
