David Attenborough facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Attenborough
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Attenborough in 2015
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David Frederick Attenborough
8 May 1926 Isleworth, Middlesex, England
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| Years active | 1951–present |
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Jane Ebsworth Oriel
(m. 1950; died 1997) |
| Children | 2 |
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Sir David Frederick Attenborough (born 8 May 1926) is a famous British broadcaster, biologist, and writer. He is best known for creating and presenting amazing nature documentaries. These shows, like the Life collection, explore all kinds of animals and plants on Earth.
David Attenborough worked as a senior manager at the BBC. He was in charge of BBC Two and later became the director of programming for BBC Television in the 1960s and 1970s. He first became well-known as the host of Zoo Quest in 1954. His career as a writer, presenter, and narrator has lasted for over 70 years! His shows include Natural World, Wildlife on One, the Planet Earth series, The Blue Planet, and its sequel.
He is the only person to have won BAFTA Awards for shows made in black and white, colour, high-definition, 3D, and 4K. He has received many awards and honorary degrees, including three Emmy Awards for his narration.
While his early work focused on the wonders of nature, his later shows have strongly supported protecting our planet. He has spoken about bringing back biodiversity (the variety of life), controlling population growth, using renewable energy, and fighting climate change. He also talks about eating less meat and setting aside more areas for nature. Many people in the UK consider him a national treasure.
Contents
About David Attenborough
His Early Life and Family
David Frederick Attenborough was born on May 8, 1926, in Isleworth, England. He grew up in College House at the University of Leicester. His father, Frederick Attenborough, was the head of the university. David was the middle of three sons. His older brother, Richard Attenborough, became a famous actor and director. His younger brother, John Attenborough, worked for a car company. During World War II, his parents also welcomed two Jewish refugee girls from Germany into their home.
As a child, David loved collecting fossils, stones, and natural items. When he was about 11, he found out the university's zoology department needed newts. He offered to supply them for a small fee, getting them from a pond near the department. Years later, a piece of amber given to him by his adoptive sister inspired his show The Amber Time Machine.
In 1936, David and his brother Richard heard a lecture by Grey Owl, who spoke about protecting nature. This talk greatly influenced David. He learned that humans were harming nature by destroying its resources. This idea has stayed with him throughout his life.
David went to Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys in Leicester. In 1945, he won a scholarship to Clare College, Cambridge. There, he studied geology and zoology and earned a degree in natural sciences. After college, he joined the Royal Navy for two years.
In 1950, David married Jane Elizabeth Ebsworth Oriel. They had two children, Robert and Susan. Jane passed away in 1997. Robert is a university lecturer in Australia, and Susan was a primary school headmistress.
David had a pacemaker fitted in 2013 and a double knee replacement in 2015. He once said that he felt lucky to travel the world and see amazing things for his job.
Starting His TV Career
After leaving the navy, David worked editing science textbooks. He didn't enjoy it much. In 1950, he applied for a radio job at the BBC but was turned down. However, his resume caught the eye of Mary Adams, who led the BBC's new television service. David didn't even own a TV at the time!
He accepted a three-month training course and joined the BBC full-time in 1952. At first, he wasn't allowed to be on camera because his teeth were thought to be too big. He became a producer for non-fiction shows.
David's journey into natural history shows began when he produced Animal Patterns. This show featured animals from London Zoo. He met Jack Lester, who worked at the zoo, and they decided to create a series about collecting animals. This led to Zoo Quest, which first aired in 1954. David became the presenter when Jack Lester became ill.
In 1957, the BBC Natural History Unit was created in Bristol. David was asked to join but preferred to stay in London with his family. Instead, he started his own department, the Travel and Exploration Unit. This allowed him to continue with Zoo Quest and make other documentaries. In the early 1960s, he left the BBC for a short time to study social anthropology. But he was soon invited back to lead BBC Two.
Leading BBC Two
David Attenborough became the head of BBC Two in 1965. He made sure his contract allowed him to keep making programmes sometimes. He filmed elephants in Tanzania and made a series about the culture of Bali. For the 1971 film A Blank on the Map, he joined an expedition to New Guinea to find a lost tribe.
BBC Two was new and needed a boost. David quickly changed its schedule. He wanted BBC Two to offer different and varied shows. Under his leadership, the channel showed music, arts, comedy, travel, drama, science, and natural history. He commissioned popular shows like Monty Python's Flying Circus and Match of the Day. He also brought snooker to the BBC to show off the new colour television.
One of his most important decisions was to order a 13-part series on the history of Western art, called Civilisation. This show was a huge success and set the standard for big, important documentaries. David thought the story of evolution would be perfect for such a series. This idea eventually led to Life on Earth.
In 1969, David was promoted to director of programmes, overseeing both BBC channels. This job involved a lot of meetings and budgets, taking him away from filming. When he was considered for the top job at the BBC in 1972, he decided he preferred making programmes. So, in 1973, he left his management role to return to full-time filmmaking.
After leaving his management job, David became a freelance broadcaster. He started working on a trip to Indonesia, which became the 1973 series Eastwards with Attenborough. He also presented a series on tribal art and another on voyages of discovery. He even presented a children's series about mythical creatures called Fabulous Animals.
The Famous "Life" Series
Starting with Life on Earth in 1979, David Attenborough created a collection of films that set a new standard for wildlife documentaries. These shows helped a whole generation of filmmakers. The series used new filming techniques to capture never-before-seen animal moments. David traveled all over the world for each episode, sometimes even changing continents in one scene. He kept his on-screen time short to focus on the animals.
Five years after Life on Earth, the BBC released The Living Planet. This series focused on how living things adapt to their environment. It was another big success. In 1990, The Trials of Life completed the first "Life" trilogy, looking at animal behaviour through different life stages.
In the 1990s, David continued the "Life" series. In 1993, he presented Life in the Freezer, the first TV series about Antarctica. Even though he was past retirement age, he made more specialized shows. The Private Life of Plants (1995) showed plants as active organisms using time-lapse photography. This show won an award.
Next, he focused on birds with The Life of Birds (1998), which also won an award. For The Life of Mammals (2002), new cameras were used to show the behaviour of animals at night. Life in the Undergrowth (2005) used macro photography to show the world of tiny creatures.
David realized he had made shows about almost all major groups of animals and plants. Only reptiles and amphibians were missing. When Life in Cold Blood aired in 2008, he completed the set. He said it was amazing to finish such a huge project. In 2010, he added First Life, which explored the earliest forms of life on Earth.
Beyond the "Life" Series
Besides the "Life" series, David Attenborough continued to work on other nature documentaries. He wrote and presented The First Eden (1987) about how humans have influenced nature in the Mediterranean. In 1989, he explored fossils in Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives.
He narrated every episode of Wildlife on One, a popular BBC One series that ran for many years. He also narrated over 50 episodes of Natural World. In 1997, he narrated the BBC Wildlife Specials to celebrate the Natural History Unit's 40th anniversary.
In the new millennium, David continued to work with the BBC Natural History Unit. He narrated The Blue Planet (2001), a series about marine life. He also narrated Planet Earth (2006), the biggest nature documentary ever made for TV, filmed in high definition.
In 2009, he co-wrote and narrated Life, a series about amazing animal behaviour. He also narrated Nature's Great Events, which showed how seasonal changes affect nature. In 2011, he played a bigger role in Frozen Planet, a series about the polar regions. He appeared on screen and wrote the final episode.
David also narrated Planet Earth II (2016) and Blue Planet II (2017). Blue Planet II was very popular and helped raise awareness about plastic pollution. He narrated Dynasties (2018), which focused on single animal species. In 2021, he presented Attenborough's Life in Colour and The Mating Game.
More recently, he returned to prehistoric life with Dinosaurs: The Final Day and Prehistoric Planet in 2022.
Protecting Our Planet
Around the year 2000, David Attenborough's documentaries started to focus more on environmental issues. In State of the Planet (2000), he used scientific evidence to show how human activities affect nature. He later addressed global warming in The Truth about Climate Change (2006) and human population growth in How Many People Can Live on Planet Earth? (2009).
In 2019, David narrated Our Planet for Netflix. This series strongly highlighted the damaging role of human activities. He also narrated Wild Karnataka, a documentary about Indian forests. In 2019, his BBC One film Climate Change – The Facts had a very serious tone about climate change. This was followed by Extinction: The Facts, which discussed the ongoing decline of biodiversity.
In 2020, David narrated the film David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet. In this film, he shared his experiences as a naturalist and his hopes for the future. It was released on Netflix. He also narrated Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet in 2021. In October 2020, he began filming for The Green Planet. In 2021, he narrated A Perfect Planet, a five-part series about Earth science.
David Attenborough was a key figure at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26). He gave a speech, saying that humans are "the greatest problem solvers" and expressed hope for a "wonderful recovery" for the planet. In 2022, the United Nations Environment Programme gave him the Champion of the Earth award for his work in protecting nature.
His Views and Beliefs
Environment and Population
David Attenborough's shows often mention how humans impact the environment. The last episode of The Living Planet, for example, focuses on human destruction of nature and how to stop it. Some people have said he didn't focus enough on environmental messages in his earlier work. However, his recent films like Extinction: The Facts and Climate Change – The Facts have been praised for their urgent messages.
He has supported many conservation projects. He helped stop the killing of albatross by fishing boats and supported WWF's campaign to protect rainforests in Borneo. He is also involved with many wildlife organizations.
In 2003, he helped launch ARKive, a project to create a digital library of natural history media. He also supports the World Land Trust. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he spoke up for zoos and their conservation efforts. In 2020, he joined the Earthshot prize Council, an initiative by Prince William to find solutions for environmental problems.
David Attenborough was initially unsure about human influence on climate change. But a lecture in 2004 convinced him that humans were responsible. He spoke at COP26, urging world leaders to reduce emissions. He also believes that people should eat less meat to help save wildlife.
He has also linked environmental problems to human population growth. He is a patron of Population Matters, a charity that supports family planning. In a 2013 interview, he said that sending food to famine-stricken countries without addressing population growth was "barmy." He believes that improving women's rights around the world can help limit birth rates. He famously said, "anyone who thinks that you can have infinite growth in a finite environment is either a madman or an economist."
Religious Views
David Attenborough considers himself an agnostic. This means he doesn't claim to know if a God exists or not. When asked if nature has given him faith in a creator, he often tells a story about a parasitic worm that blinds children in West Africa. He questions how an all-merciful God could create such a worm.
He believes that the evidence on Earth clearly shows evolution is the best way to explain the variety of life. He thinks that if there is a supreme being, that being chose evolution to create the natural world. He has stated that he never really thought about believing in God.
In 2002, he joined religious leaders and scientists to oppose teaching creationism in UK schools alongside evolution. He believes that the Book of Genesis, which says humans can control the world, has led to environmental destruction. He says that the fact of evolution is a solid historical fact, not just a theory. He strongly opposes creationism and "intelligent design" being taught in science classes.
BBC and Public Service Broadcasting
David Attenborough is a strong supporter of the BBC and public service broadcasting. He believes that public broadcasting is important for the UK. He has said that the BBC offers great quality for a low cost, especially with the television licence. He thinks that if the BBC's funding is cut, the quality of its shows will suffer.
He has expressed regret about some changes made to the BBC in the 1990s, which led to cuts and outsourcing. However, he also admitted that the BBC needed to change. In 2008, he criticized the BBC's TV schedules for showing similar programmes on BBC One and BBC Two at the same time.
Achievements and Recognition
David Attenborough's work in broadcasting and wildlife filmmaking has earned him international fame. He is often called "the great communicator" and "the greatest broadcaster of our time." His shows are seen as examples of excellent public service broadcasting and have inspired many wildlife filmmakers.
Honorary Titles
By 2013, David Attenborough had received 32 honorary degrees from British universities, more than anyone else. He has honorary degrees from Durham University, the University of Cambridge, and the University of Oxford. He is also an Honorary Fellow of many important societies, including the Zoological Society of London and the Linnean Society.
In 2006, he and his brother Richard were honored by the University of Leicester, where they grew up. David was also made an honorary Freeman of the City of Leicester and Bristol.
Special Recognition
David Attenborough has been the subject of several BBC TV programmes. Life on Air (2002) looked at his work, and Attenborough the Controller (2002) focused on his time leading BBC Two. In 2006, a poll asked British viewers to vote for their Favourite Attenborough Moments. The winning clip showed him observing the amazing mimicry skills of the superb lyrebird.
He was named the most trusted celebrity in the UK in a 2006 poll. In 2007, he won The Culture Show's Living Icon Award. He is also listed among the 100 Greatest Britons and "Heroes of Our Time." In 2009, London's Natural History Museum opened the Attenborough Studio.
In 2012, David Attenborough was chosen by artist Sir Peter Blake to appear in a new version of his famous Beatles album cover, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. This celebrated British cultural figures.
A British polar research ship was named RRS Sir David Attenborough in his honour. An internet poll suggested the name Boaty McBoatface, but the official name was chosen to honor Attenborough. However, one of the ship's sub-sea vehicles was named "Boaty" in recognition of the public vote.
David Attenborough holds a Guinness World Records title for having the longest career as a natural historian and presenter in television.
Species Named After Attenborough
More than 20 species and groups of animals and plants, both living and extinct, have been named after David Attenborough.
- Plants: An alpine hawkweed (Hieracium attenboroughianum), an Ecuadorian flowering tree (Blakea attenboroughi), one of the world's largest carnivorous plants (Nepenthes attenboroughii), and a genus of flowering plants (Sirdavidia).
- Insects and other arthropods: A butterfly (Euptychia attenboroughi), a dragonfly (Acisoma attenboroughi), a tiny spider (Prethopalpus attenboroughi), a colourful spider (Spintharus davidattenboroughi), a flightless weevil (Trigonopterus attenboroughi), a ghost shrimp (Ctenocheloides attenboroughi), and a snail (Palaina attenboroughi).
- Fish and other creatures: A fish parasite (Cichlidogyrus attenboroughi), a Namibian lizard (Platysaurus attenboroughi), a bird (Polioptila attenboroughi), a Peruvian frog (Pristimantis attenboroughi), a Madagascan frog (Stumpffia davidattenboroughi), and a type of echidna (Zaglossus attenboroughi).
- Fossils: In 1993, a prehistoric reptile was renamed Attenborosaurus conybeari. A fossilized armoured fish from Australia, believed to be the earliest animal with internal fertilization, was named Materpiscis attenboroughi in 2008. A miniature marsupial lion, Microleo attenboroughi, was named in 2016. A fossil grasshopper, Electrotettix attenboroughi, and a tiny crustacean, Cascolus ravitis, were also named after him. In 2021, an extinct horseshoe crab was named Attenborolimulus superspinosus. In 2022, a 560-million-year-old creature, believed to be the first animal predator, was named Auroralumina attenboroughii.
Other species include a tree from Gabon (Sirdavidia), a Caribbean bat (Myotis attenboroughi), a lizard from India (Sitana attenboroughii), a type of phytoplankton (Syracosphaera azureaplaneta), a scarab beetle (Sylvicanthon attenboroughi), and a brightly coloured fish from Tanzania (Nothobranchius attenboroughi).
Awards and Honours
David Attenborough has received many awards for his work. Here are some of them:
- 1974: Appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
- 1980: BAFTA Fellowship
- 1981: Kalinga Prize for making science popular
- 1985: Made a Knight Bachelor (which is why he is called "Sir")
- 1996: Made a Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH)
- 2005: Made a Member of the Order of Merit (OM)
- 2009: Prince of Asturias Award
- 2015: Individual Peabody Award
- 2018: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Narrator
- 2019: Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace
- 2020: Made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG)
- 2021: Lifetime Achievement Award from Champions of the Earth
- 2022: Champion of the Earth award from the United Nations Environment Programme
He is the only person to have won BAFTA awards for programmes made in black and white, colour, high-definition, and 3D.
Filmography
David Attenborough's television career spans over eight decades. He started with shows like The Pattern of Animals and Zoo Quest in the 1950s. His most famous work, Life on Earth (1979), began a series of nine documentaries called the Life strand, which lasted for 30 years. He also narrated the long-running BBC series Wildlife on One. In his later career, he narrated many well-known BBC wildlife documentaries, including The Blue Planet and Planet Earth. He was also a pioneer in 3D documentaries with Flying Monsters in 2010.
Images for kids
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David Attenborough's signature
See also
In Spanish: David Attenborough para niños
