Sir David Attenborough has said he has been “completely overwhelmed by birthday greetings” as he offered his heartfelt thanks to the many people who have marked his 100th birthday.
The much-loved naturalist, who turns 100 today, said he had originally expected to spend the occasion in a low-key way. But instead, his milestone birthday is being celebrated with a live event at London’s Royal Albert Hall, featuring music from his television programs along with stories and reflections from public figures and leading voices for the natural world.
In a recorded audio message released on the eve of his birthday, Attenborough said: “I had rather thought that I would celebrate my 100th birthday quietly but it seems that many of you have had other ideas.
“I’ve been completely overwhelmed by 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 all most sincerely for your kind messages.”
The Natural History Museum has also paid tribute by naming a newly identified species of wasp after him. The insect, which is native to the Patagonian lakes of Chile, will be called Attenboroughnculus tau. Other species already named in his honour include a wildflower, a butterfly, a grasshopper, a dinosaur and a ghost shrimp.
According to the museum, the wasp specimen was collected in 1984 in Chile’s Valdivia province and may be the only known example of the species in existence. It was rediscovered by chance four decades later when someone looked inside a drawer.
The museum said the name recognises the “incredible work that Attenborough has done to show us the wonder and beauty of nature, but also to inspire generations of scientists to pursue careers in natural history”.
For decades, Attenborough has been regarded as the world’s foremost voice on the natural world, with documentaries watched by hundreds of millions of people. Born on May 8, 1926, he spent his childhood gathering fossils, insects and dried seahorses.
After more than 70 years in film-making, his unmistakable voice has become inseparable from the story of life on Earth. Even now, he remains at the forefront of efforts to protect the environment, and some of his most powerful work has come in recent years.
His admirers have included members of the royal family, Barack Obama and Billie Eilish. Along with his deep knowledge, his warmth, humour and gift for storytelling have made him one of the biggest figures in broadcasting.
Late Queen Elizabeth II once praised his extraordinary ability to connect people to the natural world. “Your ability to communicate the beauty and vulnerability of our natural environment remains unequalled,” she said in 2019.
Attenborough’s films have brought both the beauty and heartbreak of nature into homes around the world. Among the most memorable moments was his encounter with two young mountain gorillas that climbed over him during the landmark 1979 series Life on Earth.
He also captivated audiences with scenes of orcas working together to create waves and break up ice while hunting a seal, and moved viewers deeply in 2012 when he told the story of Lonesome George, the last surviving Pinta Island tortoise.
“He’s about 80 years old, and getting a bit creaky in his joints – as indeed am I,” Attenborough, then 86, said.
George died just two weeks after being filmed, bringing his species to extinction.
“He’s focused the attention of the world on the fragility of our environment,” Attenborough said at the time.
Although Attenborough has topped popularity rankings and has been described as the nation’s most admired man and the greatest living British cultural icon, those close to him say he is uncomfortable with being called a national treasure.
Mike Gunton, a television producer who has worked closely with Attenborough, told Reuters: “What he feels is that he’s a public servant. He feels that he had the unique opportunity to be the voice for nature, to tell everybody about the wonders of nature.”
As climate change has intensified and threats to the planet have become more urgent, Attenborough spent much of his 90s helping raise awareness of the crisis. His 2017 series Blue Planet 2, which shone a spotlight on plastic pollution in the oceans, drew some of the biggest television audiences in Britain before being sold internationally.
Images of albatrosses unknowingly feeding plastic to their chicks shocked viewers and helped drive public concern, prompting the British government and major retailers to announce measures to cut plastic use.
Doug Gurr, director of the Natural History Museum in London, said: “I think every single person who’s seen anything that Sir David has done has been inspired to care about nature.”
Across Britain, his 100th birthday is being marked with a week of BBC special programming, a live concert at the Royal Albert Hall, museum events, nature walks and tree planting. The broadcasts include his new series Secret Garden. He remains closely involved in making programs, still driven by curiosity and a love of telling stories.
Producer Mike Salisbury said: “That’s typical David. He makes everything really enjoyable.”
Attenborough’s BBC career began to soar in 1954 with Zoo Quest, which saw him travel to distant parts of the world and bring animals back to London Zoo. By the 1970s, he had become a program controller at the BBC, but chose to return to documentary-making.
Then came Life on Earth in 1979, the series that made him a household name. Aged 52 at the time, he wrote the full 13-hour script and spent three years travelling the globe to tell the story of evolution, from the simplest life forms to humans.
Many more landmark documentaries followed, including Blue Planet, Frozen Planet and Dynasties. Over the years, his sense of urgency about protecting the planet only deepened.
“How could I look my grandchildren in the eye and say I knew what was happening to the world and did nothing?” Attenborough said.
