David Attenborough

Born 8 May 1926, the younger brother of actor Lord Richard Attenborough.

He never expressed a wish to act and, instead, studied Natural Sciences at Cambridge University, graduating in 1947, the year he began his two years National Service in the Royal Navy.

In 1952, he joined BBC Television at Alexandra Palace and, in 1954, began his famous "Zoo Quest" series. When not "Zoo Questing", he presented political broadcasts, archaeological quizzes, short stories, gardening and religious programmes.

1964 saw the start of BBC2, Britain's third TV channel, with Michael Peacock as its Controller. A year later, Peacock was promoted to BBC1 and Attenborough became Controller of BBC2.

As such, he was responsible for the introduction of colour television into Britain, and also for bringing Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969) to the world.

In 1969, he was appointed Director of Programmes with editorial responsibility for both the BBC's television networks.

In the mid-sixties became the Controller of BBC2. Later, he became the BBC's Director of Programmes. The British Academy awarded David Attenborough the Desmond Davis Award in 1970, and a Fellowship in 1979.

Although he commissioned the famous music series The Old Grey Whistle Test (1971) during his period as a BBC executive, he has admitted that he never actually watched it, as he doesn't like rock music.

Eight years behind a desk was too much for him, and he resigned in 1973 to return to programme making.

He was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1974 Queen's Birthday Honours List, made a Knight Bachelor in the 1985 Queen's Birthday Honours List, a CVO (Commander of the Royal Victorian Order) in the 1991 Queen's Birthday Honours List and a CH (Companion of Honour) in the 1996 Queen's New Year Honours List.

First came "Eastwards with Attenborough", a natural history series set in South East Asia, then The Tribal Eye (1975) , examining tribal art.

In 1979, he wrote and presented all 13 parts of Life on Earth (1979) (then the most ambitious series ever produced by the BBC Natural History Unit).

He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1983.

This became a trilogy, with The Living Planet (1984) and The Trials of Life (1990).

His services to television were recognised in 1985, and he was knighted to become Sir David Attenborough.

The two shorter series, "The First Eden" and "Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives" were fitted around 1993's spectacular Life in the Freezer (1993), a celebration of Antarctica and 1995's epic The Private Life of Plants (1995), which he wrote and presented.

Entering his seventies, he narrated the award-winning Wildlife Specials (1995), marking 40 years of the BBC Natural History Unit.

Filming the beautiful birds of paradise for Attenborough in Paradise (1996) in 1996 fulfilled a lifelong ambition, putting him near his favourite bird.

He was awarded the Order of Merit (OM) by Queen Elizabeth II in June 2005.

On 16 December 2006, he won the title of Greatest Living British Icon, voted for by viewers of BBC Two's The Culture Show, beating singers Sir Paul McCartney and Morrissey (Morrissey).

He presented Pentangle with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards in 2007.

In 2011, his home became the key to solving a murder from 132 years earlier. In 1879, a widow was killed by her housekeeper and decapitated. She chopped up the body and fed pieces of it to nearby children. The housekeeper was arrested when a severed foot was found, and ultimately convicted and executed for the murders, but her victim's head was never found, until it was discovered buried under the ground of Attenborough's house. Workmen found its remains while excavating for an extension on his home. It turns out his home was located near where Attenborough's house near stands, and the house itself used to be a pub frequented by the murderer.

While director of programmes at the BBC, he stopped the broadcast of Doomwatch: Sex and Violence (2016) on the grounds that it was potentially libelous.

He was awarded the GCMG (Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and St. George) in the 2020 Queen's BIrthday Honours List for his services to broadcasting and conservation.