sir David Attenborough said he was ‘completely overwhelmed with birthday wishes’ as he thanked well-wishers ‘most sincerely’ ahead of his 100th birthday tomorrow.
Dear naturalist said he had hoped to celebrate his centenary ‘quietly’, while admitting the UK public had ‘other ideas’.
Instead, the milestone will be marked with a live event at the Royal Albert Hall featuring music from his programsas well as stories and reflections from leading public figures and advocates for the natural world.
In a recorded audio message shared the night before his birthday, he said: “I had better thought I would celebrate my 100th birthday quietly, but it seems many of you have had other ideas.
“I have been completely overwhelmed by the birthday wishes from preschool groups to housemates and countless individuals and families of all ages.
“I simply cannot respond to each of you individually, but I would like to thank you all sincerely for your kind messages.
“I wish those of you planning your local events tomorrow a very happy day.”
The Royal Albert Hall bash, which will be broadcast on BBC One, is just one of many events to mark his birthday – and special television programs.
The Natural History Museum’s comprehensive exhibition presented by Sir David will be transformed into a free five-minute show in central London to celebrate the landmark.
Our Story with David Attenborough will be adapted to appear on Outernet London in Tottenham Court Road from Sir David’s birthday on May 8, and will see the veteran BBC nature presenter take viewers through the history of people and the Earth, before presenting a vision for London’s future.
The broadcaster has been inundated with messages and wishes from the environment and animals charity and has also had a ‘wise’ bull named after him by animal charity Peta to celebrate his birthday.
The bull, named Sir Attenbullock, was among the first rescued through Peta India’s mechanization project in Delhi.
A new species of wasp has also been named after Sir David to mark his centenary, joining other living – or lived – things that have the same honour, including a wildflower, butterfly, grasshopper, dinosaur and ghost grasshopper.
The insect native to the Patagonian lakes of Chile has been named ‘Attenboroughnculus tau’ by the National History Museum (NHM) in honor of the veteran broadcaster.
The specimen, which was collected in 1984 in Chile’s Valdivia province, may be the only existing record of the entire species, according to the NHM, and was found by chance four decades later after someone peeked in a drawer.
The museum said the designation is in recognition of “the extraordinary work Attenborough has done to show us the wonder and beauty of nature, but also to inspire generations of scientists to pursue careers in natural history”.
He is too it also inspired countless filmmakersincluding director Gareth Edwards in his approach to Jurassic World Rebirth last year.
“Being from the UK, I grew up with David Attenborough documentaries, and on a Sunday night on the BBC or wherever, one of the best things is to sit down and watch a natural history show, (where) there’s beautiful majesty and amazing nature,” he recalled. subway. ‘And I wanted to spend a Jurassic and NO there’s this wonderful, wonderful moment somewhere…’
Wasps are considered a key species in terms of ecosystem balancing and one of the most important creatures on Earth, which seems a fitting tribute to a national treasure of Sir David’s status.
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