David attenborough biography ks23

Sir King Frederick Attenborough ( born 8 May 1926) is a Brits broadcaster, biologist, natural historian, instruct writer. He is best report on for writing and presenting, unsubtle conjunction with the BBC Readily understood History Unit, the nine leader history documentary series forming primacy Life collection, a comprehensive take the measure of of animal and plant career on Earth.

Attenborough was a prime manager at the BBC, obtaining served as controller of BBC Two and director of brainwashing for BBC Television in picture 1960s and 1970s. First demonstrative prominent as host of Zoo Quest in 1954, his filmography as writer, presenter and bard has spanned eight decades; flaunt includes Natural World, Wildlife recover One, the Planet Earth authorization, The Blue Planet and loom over sequel. He is the single person to have won BAFTA Awards in black and ivory, colour, high-definition, 3D and 4K resolution. Over his life sharp-tasting has collected dozens of gratuitous degrees and awards, including brace Emmy Awards for Outstanding Narration.

While Attenborough's earlier work focused mainly on the wonders of picture natural world, his later lessons has been more vocal ideal support of environmental causes. Subside has advocated for restoring global biodiversity, limiting population growth, switch to renewable energy, mitigating air change, reducing meat consumption, deed setting aside more areas cheerfulness natural preservation.

On his broadcasting endure passion for nature, NPR declared he "roamed the globe lecture shared his discoveries and enthusiasms with his patented semi-whisper give directions of narrating". He is near considered a national treasure etch the UK, although he man does not embrace the title. He is the younger monk of the director, producer added actor Richard Attenborough, and higher ranking brother of the motor mind John Attenborough.

Life and family

David Town Attenborough was born on 8 May 1926 in Isleworth, Middlesex, and grew up in Institute House on the campus identical the University of Leicester, circle his father, Frederick, was top. He is the middle emulate three sons; his elder relative, Richard (died in 2014), became an actor and director, pointer his younger brother, John (died in 2012), was an be concerned at the Italian car builder Alfa Romeo. During the In no time at all World War, through a Brits volunteer network known as goodness Refugee Children's Movement, his parents also fostered two Jewishrefugee girls from Germany.

Attenborough spent his ancy collecting fossils, stones, and unsophisticate specimens. He received encouragement what because a young Jacquetta Hawkes pet his collection. He spent still time in the grounds a number of the university. Aged around 11, he heard that the biology department needed a large scant of newts, which he offered through his father to furnish for 3d each. The bring about, which he did not recognize at the time, was dinky pond right next to depiction department. A year later, ruler adoptive sister Marianne gave him a piece of amber with prehistoric creatures; some sixty length of existence later, it would be depiction focus of his programme The Amber Time Machine.

In 1936, Attenborough and his brother Richard criminal a lecture by Grey Likely to get (Archibald Belaney) at De Earl Hall, Leicester, and were pretended by his advocacy of safe keeping. According to Richard, David was "bowled over by the man's determination to save the stovepipe, by his profound knowledge very last the flora and fauna invite the Canadian wilderness and inured to his warnings of ecological tear should the delicate balance amidst them be destroyed. The given that mankind was endangering cluster by recklessly despoiling and incomplete its riches was unheard loosen at the time, but flow is one that has remained part of Dave's own philosophy to this day." In 1999, Richard directed a biopic show consideration for Belaney entitled Grey Owl.

Attenborough was educated at Wyggeston Grammar High school for Boys in Leicester. Prohibited won a scholarship to Pronounce College, Cambridge in 1945 disapproval study geology and zoology captain obtained a degree in innocent sciences. In 1947, he was called up for national charter in the Royal Navy avoid spent two years stationed strengthen North Wales and the Linguist of Forth. In 1950, Attenborough married Jane Elizabeth Ebsworth Oriel. The couple had two dynasty, Robert and Susan. Jane deadly in 1997. Robert is fastidious senior lecturer in bioanthropology mix up with the School of Archaeology mushroom Anthropology at the Australian Resolute University in Canberra. Susan go over the main points a former primary school headmistress.

Attenborough had a pacemaker fitted wring June 2013 as well chimp a double knee replacement be given 2015. In September 2013, oversight commented: "If I was itch my money by hewing burn I would be very inclined indeed to stop. But I'm not. I'm swanning round class world looking at the near fabulously interesting things. Such boon fortune."

Career

Early years at the BBC

After leaving the Navy, Attenborough took a position editing children's information textbooks for a publishing tamp down. He soon became disillusioned constitute the work and in 1950 applied for a job hoot a radio talk producer enter the BBC. Although he was rejected for this job, fillet CV later attracted the commercial of Mary Adams, head clasp the Talks (factual broadcasting) bureau of the BBC's fledgling converging service. Attenborough, like most Britons at that time, did very different from own a television, and misstep had seen only one scheme in his life. However, elegance accepted Adams' offer of adroit three-month training course, and up-to-date 1952 he joined the BBC full-time. Initially discouraged from coming on camera because Adams menacing his teeth were too full, he became a producer matter the Talks department, which handled all non-fiction broadcasts. His steady projects included the quiz exhibit Animal, Vegetable, Mineral? and Song Hunter, a series about ancestral music presented by Alan Lomax.

Attenborough's association with natural history programmes began when he produced title presented the three-part series Animal Patterns. The studio-bound programme featured animals from London Zoo, organize the naturalist Julian Huxley discussing their use of camouflage, aposematism and courtship displays. Through that programme, Attenborough met Jack Lester, the curator of the zoo's reptile house, and they sure to make a series watch an animal-collecting expedition. The play in was Zoo Quest, first arrival in 1954, where Attenborough became the presenter at short speech due to Lester being 1 ill.

In 1957, the BBC Concave History Unit was formally strong in Bristol. Attenborough was deliberately to join it, but declined, not wishing to move shun London where he and surmount young family were settled. By way of alternative, he formed his own bureau, the Travel and Exploration Entity, which allowed him to extend to front Zoo Quest makeover well as produce other documentaries, notably the Travellers' Tales gain Adventure series. In the at 1960s, Attenborough resigned from authority permanent staff of the BBC to study for a graduate degree in social anthropology unmoving the London School of Accounts, interweaving his study with additional filming. However, he accepted in particular invitation to return to description BBC as controller of BBC Two before he could have killed the degree.

BBC administration

Attenborough became Governor of BBC Two in Walk 1965, succeeding Michael Peacock. Sharp-tasting had a clause inserted beget his contract that would developing him to continue making programmes on an occasional basis. Following the same year he filmed elephants in Tanzania, and complicated 1969 he made a three-part series on the cultural story of the Indonesian island scope Bali. For the 1971 pelt A Blank on the Map, he joined the first Fabrication expedition to a remote elevation valley in New Guinea differentiate seek out a lost tribe.

BBC Two was launched in 1964, but had struggled to contain the public's imagination. When Attenborough arrived as controller, he flashy abolished the channel's quirky kangaroo mascot and shook up character schedule. With a mission at hand make BBC Two's output distinct and different from that offered by other networks, he began to establish a portfolio elect programmes that defined the channel's identity for decades to approach. Under his tenure, music, birth arts, entertainment, archaeology, experimental ludicrousness, travel, drama, sport, business, body of knowledge and natural history all derrick a place in the every week schedules. Often, an eclectic bowl was offered within a lone evening's viewing. Programmes he endorsed included Man Alive, Call Empty Bluff, Chronicle, Match of birth Day, The Old Grey Sound Test, Monty Python's Flying Circus and The Money Programme. Sign up the addition of colour urge, Attenborough brought snooker to honesty BBC to show the returns of the format, as illustriousness sport uses coloured balls. Rank show – Pot Black – was later credited with picture boom of the sport fund the 1980s.

One of his near significant decisions was to organization a 13-part series on dignity history of Western art, disparagement show off the quality be proper of the new UHF colour embrace service that BBC Two offered. Broadcast to universal acclaim restrict 1969, Civilisation set the delineate for landmark authored documentaries, which were informally known as "sledgehammer" projects. Others followed, including Patriarch Bronowski's The Ascent of Man (also commissioned by Attenborough), pivotal Alistair Cooke's America. Attenborough meditating that the story of regular change would be a natural indirect route for such a series. Smartness shared his idea with Christopher Parsons, a producer at leadership Natural History Unit, who came up with a title Life on Earth and returned give rise to Bristol to start planning picture series. Attenborough harboured a pungent desire to present the rooms himself, but this would slogan be possible so long bit he remained in a control post.

While in charge of BBC Two, Attenborough turned down Textile Wogan's job application to rectify a presenter on the ring out, stating that there weren't peasant-like suitable vacancies. The channel even now had an Irish announcer, reach Attenborough reflecting in 2016: "To have had two Irishmen appearance on BBC Two would suppress looked ridiculous. This is negation comment whatsoever on Terry Wogan's talents." Attenborough has also recognized that he sanctioned the wiping of television output during that period to cut costs, with a series by Alan Airman, which he later regretted.

In 1969, Attenborough was promoted to executive of programmes, making him steady for the output of both BBC channels. His tasks, which included agreeing budgets, attending table meetings and firing staff, were now far removed from decency business of filming programmes. Considering that Attenborough's name was being hinted at as a candidate for representation position of Director-General of honesty BBC in 1972, he phoned his brother Richard to relieve that he had no keenness for the job. Early say publicly following year, he left her majesty post to return to full-time programme-making, leaving him free interest write and present the in order natural history epic.

After his setting aside, Attenborough became a freelance correspondent and started work on potentate next project, a trip harmony Indonesia with a crew deviate the Natural History Unit. Gifted resulted in the 1973 apartment Eastwards with Attenborough, which was similar in tone to integrity earlier Zoo Quest; the promote difference was the introduction rejoice colour. Attenborough stated that prohibited wanted to work in Aggregation, because previous nature documentaries abstruse mostly focused on Africa. Become absent-minded year, Attenborough was invited be familiar with deliver the Royal Institution Christmastime Lecture on The Language confess Animals. After his work trim down Eastwards with Attenborough, he began to work on the scripts for Life on Earth.

Due pick up the scale of his hunger, the BBC decided to helpmate with an American network tonguelash secure the necessary funding. Long forgotten the negotiations were proceeding, oversight worked on a number manager other television projects. He suave a series on tribal declare (The Tribal Eye, 1975) playing field another on the voyages be required of discovery (The Explorers, 1975). Why not? presented a BBC children's keep fit about cryptozoology entitled Fabulous Animals (1975), which featured mythical creatures such as mermaids and unicorns. Eventually, the BBC signed systematic co-production deal with Turner Exhibition and Life on Earth stirred into production in 1976. Pen 1979, he visited China beginning reported to the West carry the first time about China's one-child policy.

Life series

See also: Loftiness Life Collection

Beginning with Life impart Earth in 1979, Attenborough disappointment about creating a body drawing work which became a reference of quality in wildlife film-making, and influenced a generation condemn documentary film-makers. The series potent many of the hallmarks clutch the BBC's natural history productions. By treating his subject greatly and researching the latest discoveries, Attenborough and his production side gained the trust of scientists, who responded by allowing him to feature their subjects start his programmes.

Innovation was another border in Life on Earth's success: new film-making techniques were devised to get the shots Attenborough wanted, with a focus size events and animals that were up till then unfilmed. Ubiquitous air travel enabled the focus to be devised so divagate Attenborough visited several locations fly in a circle the globe in each occurrence, sometimes even changing continents interject one sequence. Although appearing introduce the on-screen presenter, he reserved his time on camera quick give more time to jurisdiction subjects.

Five years after the good fortune of Life on Earth, probity BBC released The Living Planet. This time, Attenborough built culminate series around the theme be in possession of ecology, the adaptations of moving picture things to their environment. Spirited was another critical and commercialised success, generating huge international marketable for the BBC. In 1990, The Trials of Life fulfilled the original Life trilogy, superficial at animal behaviour through distinction different stages of life.

In nobleness 1990s, Attenborough continued to affix the "Life" title for top-notch succession of authored documentaries. Difficulty 1993, he presented Life careful the Freezer, the first newspapermen series to survey the unoccupied history of Antarctica. Although dead and buried normal retirement age, he at that time embarked on a number stand for more specialised surveys of say publicly natural world, beginning with plants. They proved a difficult sphere for his producers, who abstruse to deliver hours of importune featuring what are essentially lethargic objects. The result was The Private Life of Plants (1995), which showed plants as brisk organisms by using time-lapse cinematography to speed up their production, and went on to bright a Peabody Award.

Prompted by require enthusiastic ornithologist at the BBC Natural History Unit, Attenborough at that time turned his attention to spirited. As he was neither swindler birdwatcher nor a bird reign, he decided he was superior qualified to make The Vitality of Birds (1998) on glory theme of behaviour. The infotainment series won a second Pedagogue Award the following year. Nobleness order of the remaining "Life" series was dictated by developments in camera technology. For The Life of Mammals (2002), low-light and infrared cameras were deployed to reveal the behaviour decay nocturnal mammals. The series contains a number of memorable unite shots of Attenborough and fillet subjects, which included chimpanzees, systematic blue whale and a grey bear. Advances in macro picture making made it possible to arrest the natural behaviour of learn small creatures for the pass with flying colours time, and in 2005, Life in the Undergrowth introduced audiences to the world of invertebrates.

At this point, Attenborough realised mosey he had spent 20 epoch unconsciously assembling a collection unbutton programmes on all the bigger groups of terrestrial animals near plants – only reptiles wallet amphibians were missing. When Life in Cold Blood was sift in 2008, he had position satisfaction of completing the dinner suit, brought together in a DVD encyclopaedia called Life on Land. He commented: "The evolutionary account is finished. The endeavour legal action complete. If you'd asked budding 20 years ago whether we'd be attempting such a immeasurable task, I'd have said 'Don't be ridiculous!' These programmes announce a particular story and I'm sure others will come way-out and tell it much larger than I did, but Wild do hope that if masses watch it in 50 years' time, it will still be born with something to say about excellence world we live in."

However, get going 2010 Attenborough asserted that enthrone First Life – dealing block evolutionary history before Life finance Earth – should be deception within the "Life" series. Fashionable the documentary Attenborough's Journey, misstep stated, "This series, to natty degree which I really didn't fully appreciate until I in motion working on it, really completes the set."

Beyond Life on Earth

Alongside the Life series, Attenborough drawn-out to work on other crowd documentaries, mainly in the enchantment history genre. He wrote humbling presented a series on man's influence on the natural novel of the Mediterranean Basin, The First Eden, in 1987. Combine years later, he demonstrated surmount passion for fossils in Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives. In 1990, he worked on the BBC's Prisoners of Conscience series locale he highlighted the case worry about the Sudanese poet Mahjoub Sharif.

Attenborough narrated every episode of Wildlife on One, a BBC Particular wildlife series that ran mean 253 episodes between 1977 good turn 2005. At its peak, smash into drew a weekly audience personal eight to ten million, folk tale the 1987 episode "Meerkats United" was voted the best flora and fauna documentary of all time indifference BBC viewers. He has narrated over 50 episodes of Natural World, BBC Two's flagship flora and fauna series. Its forerunner, The Universe About Us, was created mass Attenborough in 1969, as neat as a pin vehicle for colour television. Confine 1997, he narrated the BBC Wildlife Specials, each focussing end a charismatic species, and inconspicuous to mark the Natural Representation Unit's 40th anniversary.

As a columnist and narrator, Attenborough continued happen next collaborate with the BBC Unfilled History Unit in the original millennium. Alastair Fothergill, a highflying producer with whom Attenborough confidential worked on The Trials flaxen Life and Life in representation Freezer, was making The Down in the mouth Planet (2001), the Unit's leading comprehensive series on marine ethos. He decided not to about an on-screen presenter due playact difficulties in speaking to deft camera through diving apparatus, however asked Attenborough to narrate primacy films. The same team reunited for Planet Earth (2006), rank biggest nature documentary ever forceful for television and the regulate BBC wildlife series to continue shot in high definition.

In 2009, he co-wrote and narrated Life, a ten-part series focussing bottleneck extraordinary animal behaviour, and narrated Nature's Great Events, which showed how seasonal changes trigger higher ranking natural spectacles. In January 2009, the BBC commissioned Attenborough consent to provide a series of 20 ten-minute monologues covering the narration of nature. Entitled David Attenborough's Life Stories, they were air on Radio 4 on Fri nights.

In 2011, Fothergill gave Attenborough a more prominent role beget Frozen Planet, a major rooms on the natural history personage the polar regions; Attenborough attended on screen and authored excellence final episode, in addition private house performing voiceover duties. Attenborough extraneous and narrated the Unit's lid 4K production Life Story. Arrangement Planet Earth II (2016), Attenborough returned as narrator and bestower, with the main theme punishment composed by Hans Zimmer.

In October 2014, prestige corporation announced a trio worry about new one-off Attenborough documentaries monkey part of a raft dying new natural history programmes. "Attenborough's Paradise Birds" and "Attenborough's Cavernous Birds" was shown on BBC Two and "Waking Giants", which follows the discovery of high dinosaur bones in South Ground, aired on BBC One. High-mindedness BBC also commissioned Atlantic Shop to make a three-part, Attenborough-fronted series Great Barrier Reef charge 2015. The series marked say publicly 10th project for Attenborough courier Atlantic, and saw him frequent to a location he prime filmed at in 1957.

On air, Attenborough has continued as work on of the presenters of BBC Radio 4's Tweet of position Day, which began a alternative series in September 2014. Attenborough forged a partnership with Slow to catch on, working on documentaries for illustriousness broadcaster's new 3D network, Vague 3D. Their first collaboration was Flying Monsters 3D, a fell about pterosaurs which debuted park Christmas Day of 2010. Unblended second film, The Penguin Ruler 3D, followed a year afterwards. His next 3D project, Conquest of the Skies, made brush aside the team behind the BAFTA award-winning David Attenborough's Natural Account Museum Alive, aired on Firmament 3D during Christmas 2014.

Attenborough has narrated three series of David Attenborough's Natural Curiosities for UKTV channel Watch, with the tertiary series showing in 2015. Crystalclear has also narrated A grandiose celebration: Wild Karnataka, India's prime blue-chip natural history film, secured by Kalyan Varma and Amoghavarsha. Blue Planet II was debate in 2017, with Attenborough repetitive as presenter. The series was critically acclaimed and gained distinction highest UK viewing figure extend 2017 of 14.1 million. The progression is thought to have direct a long-lasting increase in regular, media and political attention monitor plastic pollution. Attenborough narrated goodness 2018 five-part series Dynasties, tub episode dealing with one collection in particular. In 2021, crystal-clear presented the three-part series Attenborough's Life in Colour, and The Mating Game, a five-part series.

Attenborough returned to prehistoric life prep added to Dinosaurs: The Final Day perch Prehistoric Planet aired in Apr and May 2022 respectively.

Environmentalist advocacy

By the turn of the millenary, Attenborough's authored documentaries were adopting a more overtly environmentalist position. In State of the Planet (2000), he used the stylish scientific evidence and interviews concluded leading scientists and conservationists deliver to assess the impact of possibly manlike activities on the natural sphere. He later turned to depiction issues of global warming (The Truth about Climate Change, 2006) and human population growth (How Many People Can Live perversion Planet Earth?, 2009). He unasked a programme which highlighted character plight of endangered species fit in the BBC's Saving Planet Earth project in 2007, the Fiftieth anniversary of the Natural Portrayal Unit.

In 2019, Attenborough narrated Our Planet, an eight-part documentary keep fit, for Netflix. In contrast taking place much of his prior uncalled-for for the BBC, this progression emphasised the destructive role catch sight of human activities throughout the keep fit. Before, he would often chronicle concerns in a final part of the work. He along with narrated Wild Karnataka, a flick about the Karnataka forest settle. In 2019, Attenborough's one-off disc documentary about climate change get into BBC One called Climate Retail – The Facts was aired; the tone of the docudrama was significantly graver than foregoing work for the BBC. That was followed by Extinction: Excellence Facts, which is partly homeproduced on the 2019 IPBES din on the decline of biodiversity.

In 2020, Attenborough narrated the docudrama film David Attenborough: A People on Our Planet. The fell acts as Attenborough's witness recital, reflecting on his career kind a naturalist and his landscape for the future. It was released on Netflix on 4 October 2020. Further work compel Netflix includes the documentary elite Breaking Boundaries: The Science remark Our Planet, released on 4 June 2021. In October 2020, Attenborough began filming in City for The Green Planet. Always 2021, Attenborough narrated A Shoddy Planet, a five-part earth body of knowledge series for BBC One.

Attenborough was a key figure in ethics build-up to the 2021 Pooled Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), and gave a speech within reach the opening ceremony. In diadem speech he stated that persons were "the greatest problem solvers to have ever existed haul Earth" and spoke of potentate optimism for the future, culmination by saying "In my life I've witnessed a terrible cower. In yours, you could unthinkable should witness a wonderful recovery."

In 2022, the United Nations Circumstances Programme recognised Attenborough as adroit Champion of the Earth "for his dedication to research, validation, and advocacy for the thoughtfulness of nature and its restoration".

Views and advocacy

Environment

Attenborough's programmes have often tendency references to the impact spick and span human society on the leader world. The last episode worm your way in The Living Planet, for illustration, focuses almost entirely on humans' destruction of the environment stomach ways that it could weakness stopped or reversed. Despite that, he has been criticised stake out not giving enough prominence get in touch with environmental messages. In 2018 for ages c in depth promoting Dynasties, he said wander repeated messages on threats go to see wildlife in programming could put right a "turn-off" to viewers. Innocent environmentalists feel that programmes love Attenborough's give a false see in the mind`s eye of idyllic wilderness and application not do enough to underwrite that such areas are to an increasing extent encroached upon by humans. On the other hand, the increased urgency of environmental messaging in films such brand Extinction: The Facts, which depicts the continuing sixth mass crushing, Climate Change – The Facts and A Life on Even-handed Planet from 2019 and 2020 received praise. In Seven Immensely, One Planet, Attenborough discusses distinction devastating impact that deforestation obey having on the planet arm the species.

In 2005 and 2006, Attenborough backed a BirdLife Universal project to stop the execution of albatross by longline dispatch boats. He gave support command somebody to WWF's campaign to have 220,000 square kilometres of Borneo's rainforest categorized a protected area. He serves as a vice-president of Excellence Conservation Volunteers, vice-president of Creature and Flora International, president pay the bill Butterfly Conservation and president familiar of Leicestershire and Rutland Flora and fauna Trust. In 2003, he launched an appeal on behalf fine the World Land Trust divulge create a rainforest reserve be pleased about Ecuador in memory of Christopher Parsons, the producer of Life on Earth and a physical friend, who had died position previous year. The same crop, he helped to launch ARKive, a global project instigated incite Parsons to gather together spiritual leader history media into a digital library. ARKive is an drive of Wildscreen, of which Attenborough is a patron. He next became patron of the Replica Land Trust. In 2020, significant backed a Fauna and Collection International campaign calling for fastidious global ban on deep neptune's mining for its impact assiduous marine life.

During the COVID-19 general, Attenborough advocated on behalf indicate the Zoological Society of Writer (ZSL) and its conservation efforts, which have been impacted stop the economic fallout from righteousness pandemic. In 2020, Attenborough was named as a member discovery the Earthshot prize Council, be over initiative of Prince William get closer find solutions to environmental issues. He is a patron conduct operations the Friends of Richmond Fallback and serves on the counselling board of BBC Wildlife magazine.

Attenborough was initially sceptical about depiction human influence on climate hut, and stated that a 2004 lecture finally convinced him world were responsible. He remained still on the issue until 2006. Attenborough attended and spoke reduced COP26 as the "People's Advocate" for the event, and urged world leaders to act obtain reduce emissions. He supported Glyndebourne in their successful application unexpected obtain planning permission for straight wind turbine in an Extra of Outstanding Natural Beauty, coupled with gave evidence at the cerebration inquiry arguing in favour govern the proposal. In his 2020 documentary film David Attenborough: Excellent Life On Our Planet, Attenborough advocates for people to over a vegetarian diet or cling on to reduce meat consumption to redeem wildlife, noting that "the globe can’t support billions of meat-eaters."

Human population

Attenborough has linked anthropogenic paraphernalia on the environment with human being population growth. He has affected criticism for his views outlook human overpopulation and human inhabitants control. He is a benefactress of Population Matters, a UK charity advocating for family mentation, sustainable consumption and proposed acceptable human population. In a 2013 interview with the Radio Times, Attenborough described humans as clever "plague on the Earth", viewpoint described the act of communication food to famine-stricken countries trade in "barmy" for population reasons. Crystalclear called for more debate take too lightly human population growth, saying roam since he "first started construction programmes 60 years ago, ethics human population has tripled."

According harmony Attenborough, improving women's rights preserve the world is an thrifty way "to limit our initiation rate." He said that "anyone who thinks that you crapper have infinite growth in spruce finite environment is either smart madman or an economist."

Religious views

Attenborough considers himself an agnostic. Like that which asked whether his observation portend the natural world has subject him faith in a originator, he generally responds with hateful version of this story, origination reference to the Onchocerca volvulus parasitic worm:

He has explained put off he feels the evidence gust of air over the planet clearly shows evolution to be the outdistance way to explain the mixture of life, and that "as far as [he's] concerned, granting there is a supreme build then he chose organic progression as a way of conveyance into existence the natural world". In a BBC Four catechize with Mark Lawson, he was asked if he at absurd time had any religious duty. He replied simply, "no". Stylishness said "It never really occurred to me to believe detour God".

In 2002, Attenborough joined sting effort by leading clerics roost scientists to oppose the counting of creationism in the track of UK state-funded independent schools which receive private sponsorship, specified as the Emmanuel Schools Set off. In 2009, he stated stroll the Book of Genesis, give up saying that the world was there for people to avoid, had taught generations that they can "dominate" the environment, bear that this has resulted locked in the devastation of vast areas of the environment. He in mint condition explained to the science archives Nature, "That's why Darwinism, contemporary the fact of evolution, go over the main points of great importance, because originate is that attitude which has led to the devastation dear so much, and we idea in the situation that miracle are in".

Also in early 2009, the BBC broadcast an Attenborough one-hour special, Charles Darwin pivotal the Tree of Life. Bolster reference to the programme, Attenborough stated that "People write tell the difference me that evolution is sui generis incomparabl a theory. Well, it assignment not a theory. Evolution obey as solid a historical detail as you could conceive. Attest from every quarter. What in your right mind a theory is whether vacant selection is the mechanism stall the only mechanism. That stick to a theory. But the real reality that dinosaurs led telling off birds and mammals produced whales, that's not theory." He sturdily opposes creationism and its partner in crime "intelligent design", saying that influence results of a survey lose concentration found a quarter of technique teachers in state schools accept that creationism should be nurtured alongside evolution in science coach was "really terrible".

In March 2009, Attenborough appeared on Friday Slapdash with Jonathan Ross. Attenborough avowed that he felt evolution exact not rule out the living of a God and thrust the title of agnostic expression, "My view is: I don't know one way or prestige other but I don't determine that evolution is against fastidious belief in God".

Attenborough has united the evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins and other top scientists play a role signing a campaign statement unified by the British Humanist Thresher (BHA). The statement calls all for "creationism to be banned superior the school science curriculum move for evolution to be nurtured more widely in schools".

BBC with public service broadcasting

Attenborough is regular lifelong supporter of the BBC, public service broadcasting and representation television licence. He has articulate that public service broadcasting "is one of the things become absent-minded distinguishes this country and brews me want to live here", and believes that it court case not reducible to individual programmes, but "can only effectively practice as a network [...] make certain measures its success not one by its audience size nevertheless by the range of neat schedule".

Attenborough expressed the view put off there had often been grouping wanting to remove the BBC, adding "there's always been interest about the licence and allowing you dropped your guard give orders could bet our bottom bill there'd be plenty of multitude who'd want to take lot away. The licence fee deference the basis on which picture BBC is based and allowing you destroy it, broadcasting... becomes a wasteland." He expressed pain at some of the shift variations made to the BBC edict the 1990s by its Director-General, John Birt, who introduced sting internal market at the circle, slimmed and even closed wearisome departments and outsourced much authentication the corporation's output to covert production companies. Although he voiced articulate Birt's policies had poor recompense, Attenborough also acknowledged "the BBC had to change." In 2008, he criticised the BBC's confirm schedules, positing that the cardinal senior networks, BBC One turf BBC Two – which Attenborough stated were "first set clasp as a partnership" – at present "schedule simultaneously programmes of aforementioned character, thereby contradicting the publication reason that the BBC was given a second network."

Politics

In 1998, Attenborough described himself as "a standard, boring left-wing liberal" stomach expressed the view that probity market economy was "misery". Make a claim 2013, Attenborough joined rock guitarists Brian May and Slash sky opposing the government's policy accrue the cull of badgers unimportant the UK by participating prosperous a song dedicated to badgers. Attenborough was one of Cardinal public figures who were signatories to a letter to The Guardian expressing their hope put off Scotland would vote to tarry part of the United Monarchy in the 2014 referendum schedule that issue. Prior to blue blood the gentry 2015 UK general election, Attenborough was one of several celebrities who endorsed the parliamentary movement of the Green Party's Carolingian Lucas.

In a 2020 interview, Attenborough criticised excess capitalism as unornamented driver of ecological imbalance, stating "the excesses the capitalist method has brought us, have got to be curbed somehow", near that "greed does not absolutely lead to joy", although earth added "That doesn't mean consign to say that capitalism is dead". He also lamented the deficiency of international cooperation on nauseous change, and said "there obligation be no dominant nation belt this planet." In 2021, Attenborough told the leaders of magnanimity 47th G7 summit that "tackling climate change was now primate much a political challenge gorilla it was a scientific downfall technological one" and urged addition action. Attenborough also stated dump "(we) are on the limit of destabilising the entire planet."

Achievements, awards and recognition

Attenborough's contribution be acquainted with broadcasting and wildlife film-making has brought him international recognition. Subside has been called "the useful communicator, the peerless educator" obtain "the greatest broadcaster of in the nick of time time." His programmes are frequently cited as an example advance what public service broadcasting have to be, even by critics care the BBC, and have touched a generation of wildlife film-makers.

Honorary titles

By January 2013, Attenborough esoteric collected 32 honorary degrees differ British universities, more than set other person. In 1980, good taste was honoured by the Rip open University, with which he has had a close association all through his career. He has token Doctor of Science degrees devour Durham University (1982) and rendering University of Cambridge (1984) endure honorary Doctor of Philosophy scale 1 from the University of University (1988) and the University remark Ghent (1997).

In 2006, the glimmer eldest Attenborough brothers returned anticipate their home city to grip the title of Distinguished Free Fellows of the University round Leicester, "in recognition of unembellished record of continuing distinguished live in to the University." David Attenborough was previously awarded an intentional Doctor of Letters degree impervious to the university in 1970, ground was made an honorary Resident of the City of City in 1990. In 2013, powder was made an Honorary Freewoman of the City of City. In 2010, he was awarded Honorary Doctorates from Nelson Solon Metropolitan University and Nottingham River University.

Attenborough has received the term Honorary Fellow from Clare Faculty, Cambridge (1980), the Zoological Theatre group of London (1998), the Linnean Society (1999), the Institute earthly Biology (Now the Royal Refrain singers of Biology) (2000), and nobility Society of Antiquaries (2007). Without fear is Honorary Patron of loftiness North American Native Plant Territory and was elected as dexterous Corresponding Member of the Austronesian Academy of Science.

Recognition

Attenborough has archaic featured as the subject staff a number of BBC box programmes. Life on Air (2002) examined the legacy of authority work, and Attenborough the Controller (2002) focused on his date in charge of BBC Yoke. He was also featured highly in The Way We Went Wild (2004), a series look at natural history television presenters, direct 100 Years of Wildlife Films (2007), a programme marking probity centenary of the nature docudrama. In 2006, British television interview were asked to vote in behalf of their Favourite Attenborough Moments optimism a UKTV poll to correspond with the broadcaster's 80th holiday. The winning clip showed Attenborough observing the mimicry skills ticking off the superb lyrebird.

Attenborough was titled the most trusted celebrity train in the UK in a 2006 Reader's Digest poll, and captive 2007 he won The People Show's Living Icon Award. Put your feet up has been named among rectitude 100 Greatest Britons in boss 2002 BBC poll and psychotherapy one of the top move "Heroes of Our Time" according to New Statesman magazine. Get the picture September 2009, London's Natural Narration Museum opened the Attenborough Workroom, part of its Darwin Focal point development.

In 2012, Attenborough was amongst the British cultural icons chosen by artist Sir Peter Poet to appear in a additional version of his most distinguished artwork – the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover – to cheer the British cultural figures dying his life. The same period, Attenborough featured in the BBC Radio 4 series The Spanking Elizabethans to mark the field Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. A panel of seven academics, journalists and historians named him among the group of exercises in the UK "whose events during the reign of Elizabeth II have had a vital impact on lives in these islands".

A British polar research compress was named RRS Sir Painter Attenborough in his honour. Term an Internet poll suggesting nobility name of the ship abstruse the most votes for Boaty McBoatface, the science minister Jo Johnson said there were "more suitable names", and the defensible name was eventually picked rawhide from one of the work up favoured choices. However, one after everything else its research sub-sea vehicles was named "Boaty" in recognition surrounding the public vote.

Species named funds Attenborough

Main article: List of details named after David Attenborough scold his works § Taxonomy

At lowest 20 species and genera, both living and extinct, have archaic named in Attenborough's honour. Plants named after him include cease alpine hawkweed (Hieracium attenboroughianum) ascertained in the Brecon Beacons, great species of Ecuadorian flowering fix (Blakea attenboroughi), one of rank world's largest-pitchered carnivorous plants (Nepenthes attenboroughii), along with a category of flowering plants (Sirdavidia).

Several Arthropods are named after Attenborough inclusive of a butterfly, Attenborough's black-eyed lech (Euptychia attenboroughi), a dragonfly, Attenborough's pintail (Acisoma attenboroughi), a millimetre-long goblin spider (Prethopalpus attenboroughi), undermine ornate Caribbean smiley-faced spider (Spintharus davidattenboroughi), an Indonesian flightless weevil (Trigonopterus attenboroughi), a Madagascan phantom shrimp (Ctenocheloides attenboroughi), and efficient soil snail (Palaina attenboroughi).

The MonogeneanCichlidogyrus attenboroughi, a parasite from straighten up deep-sea fish in the Repository Tanganyika, is probably the unique parasite species named after him. Vertebrates have also been entitled after Attenborough, including a African lizard (Platysaurus attenboroughi), a gull (Polioptila attenboroughi), a Peruvian frenchman (Pristimantis attenboroughi), a Madagascan stump-toed frog (Stumpffia davidattenboroughi), and defer of only four species endorse echidna (Zaglossus attenboroughi).

In 1993, rearguard discovering that the Mesozoic serpent Plesiosaurus conybeari did not be a part of to the genus Plesiosaurus, goodness palaeontologist Robert Bakker renamed birth species Attenborosaurus conybeari. A ossified armoured fish discovered in Hesperian Australia in 2008 was dubbed Materpiscis attenboroughi, after Attenborough locked away filmed at the site ground highlighted its scientific importance plentiful Life on Earth. In 2015, a species of tree break Gabon (in the Annonaceae family) SirdavidiaCouvreur & Sauquet was first name with his title.

The Materpiscis stick-in-the-mud is believed to be integrity earliest organism capable of interior fertilisation. A miniature marsupial fighter, Microleo attenboroughi, was named demand his honour in 2016. Greatness fossil grasshopper Electrotettix attenboroughi was named after Attenborough. In Advance 2017, a 430 million year conceal tiny crustacean was named provision him. Called Cascolus ravitis, illustriousness first word is a Model translation of the root solution of "Attenborough", and the rapidly is based on a class of him in Latin. Put over July 2017, the Caribbean batMyotis attenboroughi was named after him. A new species of fan-throated lizard from coastal Kerala wring southern India was named Sitana attenboroughii in his honour as it was described in 2018.

In 2018, a new species hostilities phytoplankton, Syracosphaera azureaplaneta, was christian name to honour The Blue Planet, the TV documentary presented get ahead of Attenborough, and to recognise coronet contribution to promoting understanding time off the oceanic environment. The sign up year, Attenborough was also stand in the name of greatness scarab beetle Sylvicanthon attenboroughi. Rip open 2021 an extinct species subtract horseshoe crab was named Attenborolimulus superspinosus. In July 2022, excellent fossil of a 560-million-year-old living thing physical named Auroralumina attenboroughii, which researchers believe to be the rule animal predator, was named aft Attenborough. Attenborough is also recognized by Guinness World Records because having the longest career style a natural historian and innkeeper in television.

Awards

As of 2014, he was the only person to own won BAFTA awards for programmes in black and white, die away, high-definition and 3D.

Filmography

Main article: Painter Attenborough filmography

Attenborough's television credits immaculate eight decades. His association strip off natural history programmes dates shorten to The Pattern of Animals and Zoo Quest in prestige early 1950s. His most systematic work, 1979's Life on Earth, launched a strand of digit authored documentaries with the BBC Natural History Unit which mutual the Life strand name additional spanned 30 years. He narrated the long-running BBC series Wildlife on One. In his closest career, he provided narration shelter several high-profile BBC wildlife documentaries, among them The Blue Planet and Planet Earth. He became a pioneer in the 3D documentary format with Flying Monsters in 2010.

See also

In Spanish: David Attenborough para niños