Editing David Attenborough (section)

{{Short description|English broadcaster and naturalist (born 1926)}}
{{Redirect|Sir David Attenborough|the Antarctic research vessel|RRS Sir David Attenborough{{!}}RRS ''Sir David Attenborough''}}
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{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix   = [[Knight Bachelor|Sir]]
| name               = David Attenborough
| honorific_suffix   = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|OM|GCMG|CH|CVO|CBE|FRS|FSA|FRSA|FLS|FZS|FRSGS|FRSB|HonFLI}}
| image              = Weston Library Opening by John Cairns 20.3.15-139 David Attenborough.jpg
| caption            = Attenborough in 2015
| birth_name         = David Frederick Attenborough
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|df=y|1926|5|8}}
| birth_place        = [[Isleworth]], Middlesex, England
| death_date         = 
| death_place        = 
| years_active       = 1951–present
| education          = {{indented plainlist|
* [[Clare College, Cambridge]] ([[Master of Arts (Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin)|MA]])
* [[London School of Economics]]
}}
| occupation         = {{flatlist|
* Broadcaster
* biologist
* natural historian
* writer
}}
| awards             = {{indented plainlist|
* [[Cherry Kearton Medal and Award]] (1972)
* [[BAFTA Fellowship]] (1980)
* [[Kalinga Prize]] (1981)
* [[Knight Bachelor]] (1985)
* [[Kew International Medal]] (1996)<ref name=seb>{{cite web |url=https://www.kew.org/about-our-organisation/press-media/press-releases/ethiopia%E2%80%99s-prof-sebsebe-demissew-awarded |title=Ethiopia's Prof. Sebsebe Demissew awarded prestigious Kew International Medal |website=Kew.org |access-date=16 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180517100234/https://www.kew.org/about-our-organisation/press-media/press-releases/ethiopia%E2%80%99s-prof-sebsebe-demissew-awarded |archive-date=17 May 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[International Cosmos Prize]] (2000)
* [[RSPB Medal]] (2000)
* [[Michael Faraday Prize]] (2003)
* [[José Vasconcelos World Award of Education]] (2004)
* [[Descartes Prize]] (2004)
* [[Nierenberg Prize]] (2005)
* [[Princess of Asturias Award]] (2009)
* [[Fonseca Prize]] (2010)
}}
| title              = {{indented plainlist|
* Controller of [[BBC2]] (1965–1969)
* President of the [[Royal Society for Nature Conservation]] (1991–1996)
}}
| spouse             = {{marriage|Jane Ebsworth Oriel|1950|1997|reason=died}}
| children           = 2
| father             = [[Frederick Attenborough]]
| relatives          = {{plainlist|
* [[Richard Attenborough]] (brother)
* [[John Attenborough]] (brother)
* [[Sheila Sim]] (sister-in-law)
* [[Michael Attenborough]] (nephew)
* [[Jane Attenborough]] (niece)
* [[Charlotte Attenborough]] (niece)
* [[Tom Attenborough]] (great-nephew)
* [[Will Attenborough]] (great-nephew)
}}
| footnotes          = 
| module             = {{Listen|pos=center|embed=yes|filename=Sir David Attenborough BBC Radio4 Desert Island Discs 29 Jan 2012 b01b8yy0.flac|title=David Attenborough's voice|type=speech|description=from the BBC Radio 4 programme ''[[Desert Island Discs]]''}}
| signature          = David Attenborough's signature.svg
| signature_size     = 200px
}}
'''Sir David Frederick Attenborough''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|æ|t|ən|b|ə|r|ə}}; born 8 May 1926) is an English broadcaster, biologist, natural historian and writer. He is best known for writing and presenting, in conjunction with the [[BBC Studios Natural History Unit]], the nine nature documentary series forming the [[The Life Collection|''Life'' collection]], a comprehensive survey of animal and plant life on Earth.

Attenborough was a [[senior manager]] at the [[BBC]], having served as controller of [[BBC Two]] and [[Director of network programming|director of programming]] for [[BBC Television]] in the 1960s and 1970s. First becoming prominent as host of ''[[Zoo Quest]]'' in 1954, [[David Attenborough filmography|his filmography]] as writer, presenter and narrator has spanned eight decades; it includes [[Natural World (TV series)|''Natural World'']], ''[[Wildlife on One]]'', the [[Planet Earth (franchise)|''Planet Earth'' franchise]], ''[[The Blue Planet]]'' and [[Blue Planet II|its sequel]]. He is the only person to have won [[British Academy Television Awards|BAFTA Awards]] in black and white, [[Color television|colour]], [[High-definition video|high-definition]], [[Digital 3D|3D]] and [[4K resolution]]. Over his life he has collected dozens of honorary degrees and awards, including three [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Narrator|Emmy Awards for Outstanding Narration]].

While Attenborough's earlier work focused primarily on the wonders of the [[Natural environment|natural world]], his later work has been more vocal in support of environmental causes. He has advocated for restoring planetary [[biodiversity]], [[Human population planning|limiting population growth]], switching to [[renewable energy]], [[Climate change mitigation|mitigating climate change]], [[Environmental impacts of animal agriculture|reducing meat consumption]] and setting aside more [[Protected area|areas for natural preservation]]. On his broadcasting and passion for nature, [[NPR]] stated Attenborough "roamed the globe and shared his discoveries and enthusiasms with his patented semi-whisper way of narrating".<ref name="NPR review">{{cite news |title=Attenborough's Journey' Salutes The Broadcaster With A Passion For Nature |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/05/07/994596345/attenboroughs-journey-salutes-the-broadcaster-with-a-passion-for-nature |access-date=3 July 2021 |publisher=NPR |archive-date=30 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210630123722/https://www.npr.org/2021/05/07/994596345/attenboroughs-journey-salutes-the-broadcaster-with-a-passion-for-nature |url-status=live}}</ref> He is widely considered a [[national treasure]] in the UK, although he himself does not embrace the term.<ref>{{cite web |last=Waldemayer |first=Winston |url=https://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2009/01/eye-burrowing-worms-national-t.html |title=Short Sharp Science: Eye-burrowing worms, national treasures... and creationism |work=New Scientist |date=28 January 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090303002041/https://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2009/01/eye-burrowing-worms-national-t.html |archive-date=3 March 2009 |access-date=17 August 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/4413130/Sir-David-Attenborough-Man-was-given-permission-to-exploit-the-natural-world-by-the-Bible.html |title=Sir David Attenborough: 'Man was given permission to exploit the natural world by the Bible' |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=31 January 2009 |access-date=6 October 2014 |location=London |first=Paul |last=Kendall |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141003112012/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/4413130/Sir-David-Attenborough-Man-was-given-permission-to-exploit-the-natural-world-by-the-Bible.html |archive-date=3 October 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2982907/Margaret-Thatcher-Richard-Branson-and-Judi-Dench-picked-as-National-Treasures.html |title=Margaret Thatcher, Richard Branson and Judi Dench picked as National Treasures |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=18 September 2008 |location=London |access-date=6 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008095312/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2982907/Margaret-Thatcher-Richard-Branson-and-Judi-Dench-picked-as-National-Treasures.html |archive-date=8 October 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>