A look at Sir David Attenborough's life in his own words as he turns 100

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Snip.....intro
The young fossil hunter

A natural sense of wonderment drove Sir David's early childhood explorations around the English countryside during the interwar period.

As he told the BBC documentary Attenborough's Journey in 2010:

"When I was a boy growing up in the Midlands in Leicester, the rocks and limestones you found in the east of the country were full of the most magical things.

"So I thought it was very romantic and exciting, and it appealed to the small boy's instinct of collecting things. To be honest, I don't think I've really lost [it]."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2026-05-08/david-attenborough-s-life-in-his-own-words-as-he-turns-100/106627464

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1. Britain is going big on today, unsurprisingly.

Happy centenary, David! Attenborough’s 100 most spectacular TV moments: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/ng-interactive/2026/may/08/david-attenborough-100-most-spectacular-screen-moments

‘The greatest ambassador for life on Earth’: Tributes paid to David Attenborough on his 100th birthday

The naturalist said he had hoped to celebrate his 100th birthday quietly. Instead, the milestone will be marked with a live event at the Royal Albert Hall broadcast on BBC One, featuring music from his programmes as well as stories and reflections from public figures and leading advocates for the natural world.
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To mark his birthday, the Natural History Museum has named a newly discovered species of parasitic wasp – Attenboroughnculus tau – after him and is running an immersive exhibition, Our Story With David Attenborough, until August.

At Kew Gardens, staff recorded a birthday message paying tribute and calling on people to honour Attenborough by taking greater care of plants and fungi. The Australian Museum will pay tribute to its patron by offering free entry to a new exhibition, Bloodsuckers: Nature’s Vampires.

Tributes rolled in from the worlds of science, politics and popular culture. The naturalist Chris Packham said: “He is the greatest living broadcaster and has been the greatest ambassador for life on Earth the planet has and will ever see. And, equally importantly, he’s a nice bloke, an enthusiast, a passionate naturalist and a clever and considered communicator. And we love him because we trust him because he’s always told us the truth as we know it. And what a legacy that is!”

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/may/08/david-attenborough-100th-birthday