David Attenborough Biography
David Attenborough is a British broadcaster, biologist, naturalist and author. He is famous for his educational television programs about the natural world, such as the Life series and Planet Earth.
He has also been a leader in promoting environmental causes and conservation efforts. He is widely regarded as a national treasure in the UK and has received many awards and honors for his work.
David Attenborough Age
David Attenborough is 62 years old as of 2024.
David Attenborough Early Life and Education
David Attenborough was born on May 8, 1926, in Isleworth, Middlesex, England, to Mary and Frederick Attenborough. His father was the principal of the University College, Leicester. He had two older brothers, Richard and John, both of whom went on to achieve fame as actors and filmmakers.
David grew up in Leicester, where he developed a fascination for collecting fossils, stones, and natural specimens. He spent many days hunting for them in the local countryside and in the university grounds.
David attended the Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys, where he excelled in science and English. He was also involved in various extracurricular activities, such as drama, music, and debating. He was influenced by his teachers and mentors, who encouraged him to pursue his interests and talents. He won a scholarship to Clare College, Cambridge, where he studied natural sciences, specializing in zoology and geology. He graduated with a master’s degree in 1947.
After his graduation, David was called up for national service in the Royal Navy, where he spent two years stationed in North Wales and the Firth of Forth. He later described this period as “wasted”, as he did not learn much or see much of the world. He was eager to return to civilian life and explore his career options. He briefly worked as an editor for a children’s book for a publishing company, but he soon realized that he wanted to do something more creative and challenging.
In 1952, he applied for a training program at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), where he impressed the interviewers with his knowledge and enthusiasm. He became a television producer for the Talks department, where he was responsible for producing educational and cultural programs. He soon realized that he had a knack for storytelling and a flair for innovation.
He collaborated with the reptile curator Jack Lester, and together they created the Zoo Quest series, in which they filmed live animals in the wild and in zoos. This show was a huge success and established David as a pioneer in wildlife film-making.
David Attenborough Career
After the success of Zoo Quest, David Attenborough continued to produce and present innovative and influential programs about the natural world. In 1973, he launched the series Eastward with Attenborough, in which he explored the wildlife and cultures of Southeast Asia. He also made several specials, such as The Tribal Eye (1975), which focused on the art and rituals of various indigenous peoples, and The Miracle of Bali (1979), which showcased the music and dance of the island.
In 1979, he embarked on his most ambitious project yet: Life on Earth, a 13-part series that traced the evolution of life on the planet, from the first cells to the present day. The series took him to more than 30 countries and featured stunning footage of animals and plants, many of which had never been filmed before. The series was a huge success, attracting more than 500 million viewers worldwide and winning critical acclaim and numerous awards. It also established Attenborough as one of the most respected and popular natural history broadcasters in the world.
Following the success of Life on Earth, Attenborough produced and presented several more series that explored different aspects of the natural world, such as The Living Planet (1984), which examined the ecological relationships between organisms and their environments, The Trials of Life (1990), which revealed the challenges and strategies of survival and reproduction, and Life in the Freezer (1993), which documented the wildlife of Antarctica. He also wrote books to accompany each series, as well as an autobiography, Life on Air (2002).
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Attenborough collaborated with the BBC Natural History Unit to create a series of landmark programs that used the latest technology and techniques to capture the beauty and diversity of life on Earth. These included The Life of Birds (1998), The Life of Mammals (2002), Life in the Undergrowth (2005), and Life in Cold Blood (2008), which covered the major groups of animals, as well as The Blue Planet (2001) and Planet Earth (2006), which showcased the wonders of the oceans and the continents. These series were widely praised for their stunning cinematography, scientific accuracy, and engaging narration, and won many awards, including Emmys and BAFTAs.
In addition to his television work, Attenborough also became involved in various environmental causes and conservation efforts. He was a patron of several organizations, such as the World Wildlife Fund, the Royal Society for Nature Conservation, and the British Trust for Ornithology. He also supported campaigns to protect endangered species, such as the mountain gorilla, the giant panda, and the albatross. He also raised awareness about the threats of climate change, overpopulation, habitat loss, and pollution to the natural world, and advocated for sustainable and ethical solutions.
In his later years, Attenborough continued to produce and present new programs that explored the natural world and its challenges. He also revisited some of his earlier works and updated them with new information and footage. Some of his recent works include Frozen Planet (2011), which returned to the polar regions, Africa (2013), which celebrated the diversity of the continent, and A Life on Our Planet (2020), which reflected on his life and career and offered a vision for the future of the planet. He also narrated several series that were produced by other filmmakers, such as Our Planet (2019), which highlighted the impact of human activity on the natural world, and Dynasties (2018), which followed the lives of five animal families.
David Attenborough is widely regarded as one of the most influential and respected figures in the field of natural history and broadcasting. He has received many honors and awards for his work, including knighthood, the Order of Merit, the Kalinga Prize, and the International Cosmos Prize. He has also been named as one of the 100 Greatest Britons, one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World, and one of the Greatest Living Icons.
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David Attenborough Personal Life, Wife and Children
David Attenborough married Jane Elizabeth Ebsworth Oriel in 1950. They had two children together, Robert and Susan, who both pursued careers in education. Jane died in 1997 after a long illness. David has described his wife as “the most important person in my life”.
David has also been involved in various environmental causes and conservation efforts. He is a patron of several organizations, such as the World Wildlife Fund, the Royal Society for Nature Conservation, and the British Trust for Ornithology. He has also supported campaigns to protect endangered species, such as the mountain gorilla, the giant panda, and the albatross. He has also raised awareness about the threats of climate change, overpopulation, habitat loss, and pollution to the natural world, and advocated for sustainable and ethical solutions.
David is the younger brother of Richard Attenborough, who was a famous actor and film producer. Richard died in 2014 at the age of 90.
David Attenborough Net Worth
David Attenborough’s net worth in 2024 is estimated to be between $20 million. He has earned his money from his long and successful career as a broadcaster, naturalist, author, and producer of many educational and influential programs about the natural world.
