How it feels to live up to 100 years of life and still enjoying it same way? Well the right person to answer this question is one and only Sir David Attenborough. The creator of shows like ‘Our Planet’, ‘Planet Earth’, ‘The Blue Planet’, etc. He the person who made us meet the world of nature.
He is the one who became the voice of wildlife and reached to us through nature documentaries. Popularly telecasted on lifestyle channels such as – BBC Earth, National Geographic, Discovery Channel and many more, his films received various accolades.
Sir David Attenborough was born on May 8, 1926. He is a renowned English broadcaster, natural historian and narrator, known for landmark documentaries like Planet Earth and The Blue Planet. As of May 2026, he is now100 years old, and has produced content over eight decades, and holds 32 university degrees.
Celebrating his 100 years of living and still counting more, Attenborough has seen a life that has changed from letters, to pagers, to telephones, to smartphones and now leading towards AI. He has lived an amazing legacy and is the only person to win BAFTA Awards for broadcasting in black-and-white, colour, HD, 3D and 4K resolution.
(Some special qoutes by Sir David Attenborough- shared by Nat Geo)
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Especially, got acclaimed for his work on The Life Collection, Natural World, and Frozen Planet. Despite his fame, he has mentioned that he dislikes being in large crowds. And that’s why it is the best decision to live in nature, perhaps the reason of him still staying alive for these long years.
During his lifetime, he had a heart surgery in 2013 and later got his knee replaced, yet he continued with his work and always express gratitude for his career. In his 100 years of life, he has maintained a semi-vegetarian diet. He has expressed that he dislikes rats and noted that they are the only animal he does not like.
Sir Attenborough has achieved a special award; he was knighted in 1985 and then again in 2022.
Greetings and Wishes
Considering the 100 years celebration of Sir David Attenborough people from all around the world wished him and extended greetings for making them aware with the wildlife co-existing with us human.
King Charles sends a special message to Sir David Attenborough.
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Prince and Princess of Wales congratulated him and said, “Sir David, thank you for your wisdom, your kindness, your dedication and for reminding us, always, of the wonder of the world we call home. A very happy 100th birthday!”
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A special ceremony has been observed in UK, as The Royal Albert Hall sang to Sir David Attenborough during his 100th birthday celebrations, and wished him Happy Birthday.
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BBC Earth also extended their wishes and said, “A lifetime dedicated to bringing the natural world closer to us all. Happy birthday, Sir David Attenborough – from Planet Earth.”
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National Geographic sends Sir Attenborough a birthday wish video!
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Animal Planet India shares an interesting video, as wishing him Happy Birthday and thanking him for being the voice of wildlife.
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But wait, did you know that Sir David Attenborough is the real reason behind why tennis balls are yellow in colour? Well watch the video below to know.
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And it’s not ending yet! Here are some quirky trivia about Sir David Attenborough we share with you on his 100th Birthday:
- Sir David Attenborough was born on May 08, 1926, in Isleworth, West London which is the same year as Queen Elizabeth II.
- He was raised on the campus of University College, Leicester (now known as the University of Leicester), where his dad was principal.
- Sir Daviddoesn’tcount himself as an animal ‘lover’; but instead says he has always been fascinated by them.
- He’sthrifty! At 11 years old he struck a deal selling newts to University College, Leicester for 3d (3 pence) each. The newts only came from a pond 5m away from the university’s zoology department.
- He is the only person to have won BAFTAs for programmes in black and white, colour, HD, and 3D.
- Hedoesn’town a car as he never passed his driving test. He’s also not keen on sending emails and prefers receiving letters by post.
- During World War-IIhis parents adopted two Jewish refugee girls from Europe.
- There’sonly one animal Sir David doesn’t like… and that is Rats!
- Sir David was rejected from the first job he ever applied for at the BBC. The position ofradio talk producer.
- In 1947 he spent two years serving in the Royal Navy; based in North Wales and theFirth of Forth.
- When Sir David got his first job in television, hedidn’teven own a TV; Like most British people at that time!
- His first programme, called Coelacanth, looked at the rediscovery of the coelacanth– a prehistoric fish.
- Sir David has more than 50 plants and animals named after him.Such as the Nepenthesattenboroughii – a giant carnivorous plant that devours animals as large as rats, and a UK polar research vessel – RRS Sir David Attenborough.
- In 1985 he received a knighthood,Granting him thetitle of Sir David Attenborough.
- He’sthought to be one of the most well-travelled people on the planet. For The Life of Birds documentary, he travelled a whopping 256,000 miles – that’s the same as travelling around the world ten times!
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Sir David Attenborough is a soul messenger of the nature and always keen to deliver the message of saving the planet earth. He has shared many videos and clips asking everyone to protect the forests and oceans. And we should listen to him. Because he has seen the Earth before the damage and now and after it.
On his 100th birthday he shares a great message where he says that “After living for nearly 100 years on this planet, I now understand that the most important place on Earth is not on land, but at sea.”
He said that we are the greatest problem to face the planet, but we are also its greatest hope. The final chapter is ours to write. We know what we need to do. What happens next is up to us. The ocean is our planet’s life support system. If we save the sea, we save our world.
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Relation with Africa
David Attenborough has spent seven decades bringing Africa’s wildlife to the world, most famously during his 1979 encounter with mountain gorillas in Rwanda. His landmark 2013 series, Africa, utilized cutting-edge technology to reveal hidden ecosystems like the massive underground lake in the Kalahari and rare animal behaviors, such as violent giraffe battles. From the Great Migration in the Serengeti to the ancient baobabs of the south, his documentaries highlight the continent’s immense biodiversity. Beyond mere observation, Attenborough’s work emphasizes the urgent need for conservation to protect these fragile habitats from climate change and human encroachment.
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During Life on Earth (1979), Attenborough’s interaction with a family of mountain gorillas, specifically a young gorilla named Pablo, became one of the most famous moments in natural history broadcasting, highlighting the need to protect the species. In the 2013 Africa series, Attenborough used advanced technology to showcase the secret social lives of desert wildlife. He highlighted the “Dragon’s Breath” cave, a massive, hidden, deep lake beneath the Kalahari Desert containing unique fish species. He documented the ancient, time-worn baobab trees in South Africa, some of which are thousands of years old. He captured the incredible gathering of hundreds of thousands of flamingos on the harsh, caustic waters of Lake Natron. The Africa series showcased rare footage of male giraffes engaged in silent, violent, yet ritualized battles.
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Major Documentary Projects in Africa
- Zoo Quest to Madagascar (1961): Early expedition capturing the unique wildlife of the island.
- Life on Earth (1979): Introduced the world to Rwandan mountain gorillas.
- The Living Planet (1984): Explored adaptation in the Namib Desert and Okavango Delta.
- Planet Earth (2006): Featured the scale of the Great Migration in the Serengeti.
- Africa (2013): A dedicated, six-part series documenting the continent’s diverse ecosystems and animal behaviours.
- A Life on Our Planet (2020): Reflected on the changes to East African wilderness since his first visit in 1960.
His work has consistently aimed to move beyond negative stereotypes of Africa to showcase its incredible ecological diversity and wonder.