David Attenborough marked his 100th birthday today, says he is “completely overwhelmed by birthday greetings” for his centenary on Friday and expressed gratitude to all the wellwishers “most sincerely”.
The naturalist revealed he had received birthday greetings "from pre-school groups to care home residents and countless individuals and families of all ages".
"I simply can't reply to each of you all separately, but I would like to thank you almost sincerely for your kind messages." the broadcaster added.
Who is David Attenborough?
The Prime Minister of UK, Sir Keir Starmer, hailed Sir David as a "national treasure and a pioneer" and paid tribute to his "remarkable contribution to public broadcasting".
When and where was David Attenborough born?
Sir David Attenborough was born on May 8, 1926, in Isleworth, West London and was raised on the campus of University College, Leicester, as his father served as a principal of that campus.
David Attenborough early life
As mentioned earlier, Sir David grew up in Leicester, where he developed interest in natural history by collecting fossils and specimens.
He further received his education at Clare College, Cambridge, in natural sciences, he worked in the Royal Navy before joining the BBC in 1950, shifting from a producer to an iconic broadcaster who made history with his phenomenal skills.
Sir David Attenborough facts
Here are a few interesting facts abour Sir David Attenborough:
BAFTAs winner
The 100-year-old is the winner of BAFTAs for programmes in black and white, colour, HD, and 3D.
It would be a quite surprising fact that Sir David never owned a car, as he always failed to pass driving tests.
Additionally, he isn’t even keen on sending emails and prefers receiving letters by post.
Sir David’s love for plants and animals
Sir David never counted himself as an animal ‘lover;’ however, he always found himself fascinated by them.
Moreover, David Attenborough has 50 plants and animals named after him such as the Nepenthes attenboroughii – a giant carnivorous plant that devours animals as large as rats – and a UK polar research vessel, RRS Sir David Attenborough.
