In a recorded audio message shared the night before his birthday, the legendary broadcaster and naturalist said he had hoped to mark the occasion “quietly,” but has been inundated with messages from around the world.
The milestone will be marked with a live event at the Royal Albert Hall that will air on the BBC on Friday (May 8), the same day the TV legend turns 100.
David Attenborough’s career as TV star turns 100
Sir David was born on May 8 1926, in London, the son of an academic and principal of University College, Leicester.
Before joining the BBC in 1952, he studied geology at the University of Cambridge and served two years in the Royal Navy, before earning his reputation with the groundbreaking Zoo Quest series, which he hosted for 10 years on the BBC.
In 1965, he became controller of BBC Two, overseeing the advent of colour TV, and he later became BBC director of programming, but life as a broadcast executive did not appeal, and he returned to his passion for filming wildlife.
His recognisable whispering voice became a household sound in 1979 when he was seen mingling and bonding with a family of gorillas in Life On Earth and its sequel, The Living Planet, in 1984.
The following year, he was knighted by the late Queen Elizabeth II before being awarded a Knight Grand Cross honour in 2022.
The TV presenter has two children, Susan and Robert, with his late wife Jane, whom he married in 1950, while his late brother Richard was a well-known actor and film director, who starred in movies such as The Great Escape, Doctor Dolittle and Jurassic Park.
In recent years, Sir David, who resides in Richmond, has presented shows including Dynasties, Prehistoric Planet and Planet Earth III.
Sir David Attenborough left ‘overwhelmed’ by 100th birthday wishes
Sir David 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.”
He offered his heartfelt thanks to everyone who reached out.
Sir David said: “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.
“I wish those of you who have planned your own local events tomorrow a very happy day.”
His centenary will be marked by a live event at the Royal Albert Hall, which will feature music from his programmes, stories and reflections from public figures and leading advocates for the natural world.
The event will be broadcast on BBC One.
Elsewhere, the Natural History Museum’s immersive exhibition presented by Sir David will be adapted into a free five-minute show and displayed at Outernet London, Tottenham Court Road, beginning May 8.
Sir David will guide viewers through the history of humanity and the planet, before offering a glimpse of London’s future.
Environmental organisations and animal charities have also joined in the celebrations.
PETA has named a rescued bull “Sir Attenbullock” in his honour.
Sir Attenbullock was one of the first animals saved through PETA India’s Delhi mechanisation project.
A new species of wasp has also been named after Sir David Attenborough to mark his centenary.
The National History Museum (NHM) paid tribute to Sir David by naming the insect native to the Patagonian lakes of Chile as Attenboroughnculus tau.
The specimen, which was collected in 1984 in the Valdivia province of Chile, may be the only record of the entire species’ existence, according to the NHM, and was found by chance four decades later after someone peeked into a drawer.
The museum said the naming is in recognition of 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”.
Others named after him include a wildflower, butterfly, grasshopper, dinosaur and ghost shrimp.
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