David Attenborough

David Attenborough

David Attenborough (David Frederick Attenborough) was born on May 8th, 1926 and is currently 100 years old. David Attenborough was born in London, England. Attenborough attended Clare College, Cambridge where he received a Master of Arts degree. He also attended London School of Economics.

David Attenborough is best known as a naturalist, broadcaster, and natural historian from England. Over his long career in broadcasting, he has made a name for himself with his nine-part Life series among many other very educational and innovative TV programs.

David spent his childhood in Leicester, England where he developed a love for natural history from a very young age. After graduating from college in 1949, he got a job at an educational publishing house, and by 1952 he was employed at the British Broadcasting Corporation as a producer on TV.

Working with Jack Lester the reptile curator, they came up with Zoo Quest, the TV series in which they used to go to zoos and in the wild to film all manner of live animals. It was a very popular show even as it increased the viewership of the educational programs on offer by the BBC.

David Attenborough would ultimately launch several TV programs such as Kenneth Clark’s Civilization, The Forsyte Saga which was a dramatic production, and The Ascent of Man, the landmark cultural educational series. He was also responsible for bringing to the fore Monty Python’s Flying Circus, the comedy series.

David was the narrator of the 2017 program Blue Planet II, which earned him an Emmy Award. He has also been the narrator of the eight-part series Our Planet, which aired on Netflix starting in 2019.

David Attenborough published his most popular work A Life on Our Planet in 2020. In the work, he tells of his hectic life and his growing awareness of the threat posed by climate change. But it is not only about the negative, as he also offers an optimistic assessment of the strategies and technologies he believes will be useful in solving the climate change crisis.

Earlier on, Attenborough published Life on Air in 2002, an insightful biography focusing on his life apart from his work as a wildlife presenter. David writes about his life from before he joined the BBC to when he was working on Blue Planet and Planet Earth. He also showcases the different methods to take pictures of wildlife and the many challenges involved.

Journeys to the Other Side of the World is a work that David Attenborough published in 2018. He chronicles his travels across the world from Australia to the Pacific Islands and New Guinea. With his companion and cameraman, they not only recorded wildlife but also the traditions and cultures of the indigenous people they encountered.

David Attenborough: Awards & Accolades

David Attenborough won the British Book Awards, Outstanding Achievement, in 2004.

Attenborough's book, A Life on Our Planet won the Goodreads Awards, Best Science and Technology, in 2020.

David Attenborough books have also been nominated for multiple awards, A Life on Our Planet was nominated for the British Book Awards, Non-Fiction: Narrative Book of the Year, in 2021. Ocean: Earth's Last Wilderness was nominated for the Waterstones, Book of the Year, in 2025.

David Attenborough: Lists & Other Mentions

• Adventures Of A Young Naturalist was a Waterstones: The Books You've Always Meant to Read Selection in 2020.
• Life on Earth was a The Sunday Times: The Top 100 Bestsellers Selection in 2024.

Related Authors

Fans of David Attenborough also enjoy these authors:

1. J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter Series.
2. Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid's Tale Series.
3. George Orwell, author of: 1984.
4. Stephen King, author of The Dark Tower Series.
5. Bill Bryson, author of the Bill Bryson Travel Books.

David Attenborough: F.A.Q