Sir David Attenborough has earned his place as a cultural icon and national treasure through his contributions to the world of nature exploration and storytelling. For nearly seven decades, Britain’s favourite naturalist has enchanted audiences across different generations, using television, radio, and social media. What are some of the fascinating facts about David Attenborough?
David Attenborough was born on 8 May 1926, in Isleworth, West London, the same birth year as Queen Elizabeth II.
The natural historian and author was raised in College House on the campus of the University of Leicester, where his father,Frederick Attenborough, was principal.
At 11 years old, the nature's storyteller struck a deal selling newts to University College, Leicester for 3 pence each. It's fascinating that these newts were found in a pond situated a mere 5 metres away from the university's zoology department.
During World War II, David Attenborough's parents adopted two Jewish refugee girls from Europe, Irene and Helga Bejach, aged 11 and 9 respectively.
The lateRichard Attenborough was the older brother of Sir David Attenborough who received numerous accolades for both acting and directing in the entertainment field.
Sir David has never owned a car because he didn't pass his driving test and has no interest in driving. The cultural icon also prefers receiving letters by fax or post, rather than sending emails.
Sir David Attenborough doesn't describe himself as an animal devotee, but he has always been fascinated by them.
David Attenborough's least favourite animal is a rat. The wildlife explorer said he would be the first to run on seeing a rat.
Starting his career path, Sir David applied for the role of radio talk producer at the BBC, but he was rejected from his job application.
His service in the Royal Navy began in 1947 and lasted for two years, with bases in North Wales and the Firth of Forth.
Just like the majority of British people of his time, the legendary broadcaster embarked on his television career without owning a TV.
Britain’s naturalist David Attenborough has more than ten plants and animals named after him. Among them is the Nepenthes attenboroughii, a carnivorous plant known for its ability to prey on animals as large as rats.
Attenborough is considered to be among the most well-travelled individuals in the world. The legendary Sir David covered a remarkable 256,000 miles, equivalent to travelling around the world ten times.
Sir David supported the idea of cloning a species to preserve it, emphasising the importance of cloning both male and female specimens to ensure the species' continuity.
In his book The Zoo Quest Expeditions, David Attenborough describes his travel experience in Jakarta, during which he fought off a pickpocket attempting to steal from him.
The former senior manager at the BBC, David Attenborough, confessed that the Pinta Island Tortoise was the rarest animal he had ever seen. He described this encounter during a lecture he gave for the Environment Trust for Richmond upon Thames in 2015.
In the film Great Wildlife Moments, a sneak peek of his home shows peacocks adorning the fireplace, a nature-inspired wallpaper, and a penny jar plugged with feathers.
Attenborough has been honoured with numerous awards and honorary degrees throughout his life. The English broadcaster and naturalist is the only person to secure BAFTA Awards in black and white, colour, high definition, 3D, and 4K resolution.
After dedicating six decades to travelling the world and documenting various animal species, Sir David Attenborough disclosed that among all creatures, it's a nine-month-old human baby that captivates him the most.
