Broadcaster and natural historian
David Attenborough
The broadcaster whose natural history series have shaped how audiences understand life on Earth.
By globalcelebwiki Editorial Desk · Published 29 September 2026
- Profession
- Broadcaster and natural historian
- Born
- 8 May 1926
- Birthplace
- Isleworth, London, United Kingdom
- Nationality
- British
Overview
Sir David Attenborough is a British broadcaster, writer and natural historian best known for writing and presenting landmark natural history series for the BBC.
Early life
Attenborough was born in Isleworth, west London, in 1926 and grew up in Leicester. He studied natural sciences at Clare College, Cambridge.
Career journey
He joined the BBC in the early 1950s and presented the series Zoo Quest before serving as controller of BBC Two, where he commissioned a range of ambitious factual programming. Returning to programme making, he wrote and presented Life on Earth and a long sequence of successor series, later including The Blue Planet and Planet Earth.
Notable work
Life on Earth (1979), The Living Planet (1984), The Blue Planet (2001), Planet Earth (2006), Blue Planet II (2017).
Awards and achievements
He was knighted in 1985, has received multiple BAFTA awards, and was appointed to the Order of Merit in 2005.
Sources and references
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