David Attenborough has been teaching us about the wonders of nature for over seventy years. In the fragmented, confused world we live in today, it is still a force for good, drawing our attention to the incredible theater of insects, birds, mammals and marine life that exist alongside us and, fundamentally, to the plight of the environment that plays host to this wildlife. Now, as he reaches his milestone centenary birthday, we celebrate the man who has been part of our lives for so long.
He has been associated with seven successive generations, making him the father (or, for some, grandfather) of natural history transmission. And after spending so many years talking to us through our TV screens, he’s such a familiar presence that many of us almost feel as if we know him. It is constant; It seems he spends his whole life teaching us about the natural world. Maybe that’s why I’ve always felt he reminded me of my own father, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.
Looking back on his life, one of the most extraordinary things you realize is that if things had played out differently, he might never have become the man who whispered to the gorilla. Many people are unaware that he stepped away from the frontline of nature documentaries in the 1960s. Moving up the BBC administration, he became a successful TV executive, quickly climbing the ladder to become Controller of BBC Two and then Director of Programmes. He helped bring color television to Britain and supported ambitious arts and documentary broadcasting. But the pull of nature and Travel was unavoidable, and when it was rumored that he was being put forward for the post of BBC Director-General, he resigned and returned to full-time program production.
Always had a deep connection with the natural world. was born in London On 8 May 1926, Sir David grew up on the campus of University College Leicester, where his father was Principal of the University. His childhood was shaped by outdoor life, giving him an early understanding of nature’s hidden treasures. He studied natural sciences at Clare College, Cambridge, and joined the BBC in 1952, shortly after publication. Just two years later, he began leading the BBC series. Zoo QuestThat gave him a ticket to the farthest corner of the world. This was ground breaking TV. Families were on the edge of their seats, watching this passionate, adventurous young man turn the magnifying glass on a whole new world.
His career peak came in 1979 Life on EarthA thirteen-part chronicle of evolution filmed around the world. He says in a recent documentary, ‘I wanted to do a series that tells about the growth, the evolution of life. Looking back at life on earth. ‘Beginning with the simplest animals we shall proceed directly to monkeys, apes and humanity. And in between you deal with birds and insects etc. in proper evolutionary order.’ Reaching hundreds of millions, the series set a strong precedent for modern natural history filmmaking, and the image of Sir David sitting among mountain gorillas in Rwanda whispering quietly to the camera remains etched in our minds.
