David Attenborough turns 100 after a lifetime bringing nature to the screen
The famed natural historian and broadcaster is celebrating his 100th birthday after decades of bringing the natural world to viewers around the globe.
Artists on England’s Morecambe Beach create a sand portrait of Sir David Attenborough to celebrate his 100th birthday, paying tribute to his legendary career and enduring impact on nature storytelling and conservation.
Sir David Attenborough, one of the most recognizable voices in natural history, turned 100 on Friday.
Attenborough’s fascination with the natural world started when he was young and deepened while he studied natural sciences at Clare College, Cambridge. He joined the BBC in 1952 and eventually became one of the most familiar faces and voices in nature television.
Over the decades, he helped bring programs such as Life on Earth, The Blue Planet, Planet Earth and The Private Life of Plants to audiences around the world. He also received some of broadcasting's highest honors, including a Peabody Award, a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Narrator and the Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication.
“I’d always wanted to do films on animals around the world,” he recalled in a 1985 interview with The Associated Press.
That same year, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his work in television. In 2022, he was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and St. George.
“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 preschool groups to care home residents and countless individuals and families of all ages,’' Attenborough said in a recorded message for his birthday. “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.”
Fans of Attenborough celebrated his centennial birthday with works of art, including a sand painting of his face, or by visiting his new exhibit in London.
An aerial view as Dan McFadden completes a portrait of Sir David Attenborough on Morecambe Beach on May 06, 2026 in Morecambe, England. Arts collective, Sand In Your Eye founded by sculptor Jamie Wardley creates a portrait naturalist and TV presenter David Attenborough as a tribute to him for his 100th birthday on May 8th. (Photo by Anthony Devlin/Getty Images)
This image was taken with a fisheye lens.) "Our Story with David Attenborough" goes on display to celebrate the natural historian's 100th birthday at Outernet London on May 08, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Lia Toby/Getty Images)
