Sir David Attenborough, the renowned wildlife expert and broadcaster, is celebrating his 100th birthday on May 8. For decades, he has captivated audiences with his nature documentaries like “Planet Earth,” “The Blue Planet,” and “Frozen Planet.” Even last year, he released a feature documentary called “Ocean with David Attenborough.”
Apart from his iconic narration and passion for animals, there are interesting aspects of his life to explore. Here are 10 lesser-known facts about him, one for each decade of his life.
1. Attenborough, known for his love of animals, surprisingly harbors a fear of rats. This fear stems from an unsettling encounter with a rat in the Solomon Islands.
2. More than 40 species have been named after him, including a butterfly, a miniature orchid, and a newly discovered wasp species called “Attenboroughnculus tau.”
3. In the 1960s, Attenborough influenced the color change of tennis balls to bright yellow for better visibility during broadcasts.
4. He holds the distinction of being knighted twice, first in 1985 by Queen Elizabeth and later in 2022 by Prince Charles, becoming a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George.
5. Attenborough is the only person to have won BAFTA awards for color, black and white, HD, and 3D programs. He also became the oldest person to win a Daytime Emmy at 99.
6. At the age of 89, he took a record-breaking 1,000-foot dive in a submersible to film parts of the Great Barrier Reef.
7. Attenborough’s early entrepreneurial spirit saw him selling newts to a zoology department at the age of 11.
8. Despite receiving numerous fan letters, he prefers to reply by mail and is not active on social media.
9. His documentary “Blue Planet II” played a significant role in raising awareness about plastic pollution in oceans and its impact on marine life.
10. If Attenborough could be an animal for a day, he humorously mentions he would choose to be a sloth due to their laid-back lifestyle.
Sir David Attenborough’s remarkable contributions to wildlife conservation and environmental awareness continue to inspire and educate audiences worldwide.
