Sir David Attenborough, the esteemed broadcaster, naturalist, and national treasure, celebrates his 100th birthday on May 8. To mark this milestone, we present a selection of photographs you might not have seen before.
1950: Wedding Day
Sir David is pictured here on his wedding day 76 years ago. He married his wife Jane at St Anne’s Church on Kew Green. She died in 2004. Also pictured is his older brother Richard, the film actor and director, and member of the House of Lords, who died in 2014.
1955: Zoo Quest in British Guiana
Sir David visited British Guiana, now the independent country of Guyana, for one of his first programmes for the BBC – Zoo Quest. In this image, he is pictured with his son Robert and a coatimundi brought back from the country.
1957: Cockatoo Georgie
Three-year-old Susan and her father David Attenborough cover their ears as sulphur-crested cockatoo Georgie lets out a piercing shriek. Georgie has been brought home to Richmond from New Guinea, which David Attenborough visited for his 'Zoo Quest' series.
1958: Meeting Royalty
A young Prince Charles and his sister Princess Anne meet Sir David and Cocky, the cockatoo brought back from his Zoo Quest expedition, at the BBC Television Studios in London.
1965: BBC Controller
Sir David is pictured at London’s BBC Television Centre while he was controller of BBC Two. In the role, he oversaw the advent of colour television.
1985: Knighthood
Sir David is shown with his wife Jane (right) and daughter Susan after he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at an investiture at Buckingham Palace.
1992: Madame Tussaud's
In 1992 a waxwork was unveiled of the naturalist at Madame Tussaud’s. His wax portrait has been updated and replaced since.
2006: Honorary Fellows
Sir David and Richard Attenborough were made distinguished honorary fellows of the University of Leicester during a ceremony at De Montfart Hall in 2006. The brothers grew up in the East Midlands city.
2008: Christmas Lecture
The late Queen smiles as Sir David gives a Christmas Lecture at the Royal Institution of Great Britain in London.
2012: Butterfly on Nose
Sir David smiles with a south-east Asian Great Mormon Butterfly on his nose after he launched the Big Butterfly count at London Zoo in Regent’s Park.
2013: Princess of Wales
Sir David talks to the Princess of Wales, who was then Duchess of Cambridge, prior to the screening of David Attenborough’s Natural History Museum Alive 3D, at the Natural History Museum, in central London.
2020: Turner's Bedroom and COP26
The naturalist looks through a telescope in JMW Turner’s bedroom during the opening of the Turner And The Thames exhibition at Turner’s House in Twickenham, south-west London. Later that year, Sir David was pictured sitting beside the then Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the launch of the Cop26 UN Climate Summit.
2021: Masked Premiere
The naturalist was pictured wearing a mask as he attended the premiere of the nature documentary Green Planet at a cinema in Glasgow during the Covid pandemic.
2023: Tree Planting
Sir David Attenborough with Clare Balding (rear right) planting a tree, in honour of Queen Elizabeth II, for The Queen's Green Canopy in Richmond Park with school children from across London.
2024: Portrait Unveiling
Sir David during the unveiling of a portrait by Jonathan Yeo at a private ceremony at the Royal Society in London.
