Attenborough, David (1926–)

One of the best-known natural history filmmakers, David Attenborough has inspired people around the world about the planet they live on and the plants and animals they share it with. With a broadcast career spanning over 50 years, Attenborough has traveled throughout the world making the once inaccessible aspects of nature and science accessible to the general public. He is one of the best-known science personalities and science communicators of the 20th century.

Attenborough was born on May 8, 1926, in London, England. He was the middle child of the family. His siblings included elder brother Richard, younger brother John, and two sisters—Jewish refugees from Europe whom his parents adopted during World War II.

From an early age, Attenborough exhibited curiosity about the world around him, spending ...