Just a few days ago the world celebrated Sir David Attenborough’s birthday as well as him being named a Champion of the Earth by the UN. That’s right, a champion of the Earth. So even though we’re a couple of days late, we still think Attenborough is worth celebrating! And what better way to celebrate than to get to know the man, the myth, the legend a little bit better, shall we?
(image via: radio times)
As of 2017, there are at least 18 different species named after him. It’s hard for us to even fathom this because, if you can believe it, there are exactly zero species named after us. Among these species, there is a weevil, a locust, a spider, and a wildflower, quite the bunch, if you ask us.
The man doesn’t just dabble in science, no, thanks to Attenborough snooker coverage began to be televised in the mid-1960s. For those of us on this side of the pond, snooker is comparable, though not the same, as pool here in the United States. But his broadcasting contributions don’t end there, Attenborough’s contributions in broadcasting actually span over the course of eight decades, winning BAFTA’s in black and white, color, and 3D.
Here’s an interesting one, Sir David doesn’t necessarily consider himself an animal lover, but is rather fascinated by animals. And just a total 180 from that, Sir David doesn’t own a car. Why, you ask? Because he simply can’t pass his driver’s test. And to be honest, we get it. He’s also not a big fan of e-mails and in fact, much prefer sending your classic fax or sending greetings via snail mail.
(image via: eden)
You know how you feel so accomplished after completing any degree or certificate? Well, get ready to feel wildly inferior because Sir David has 32. That’s right, he has 32 university degrees. We know what you’re thinking, and no, he doesn’t just show up and test out of classes to receive credits, in fact, he receives honorary degrees from colleges all over the UK.
Remember how we said Attenborough doesn’t really consider himself an animal lover? Just fascinated by them? Well, there is one animal that he doesn’t love and he isn’t fascinated by: rats!
Do you love to travel? So does Sir David! In fact, for The Life of Birds documentary, he traveled 256,000 miles, which is the equivalent to traveling around the world ten whole times!
Last, but certainly not least, Sir David Attenborough continues to inspire the world to love and care for our oceans:
“We all need a healthy ocean, so we must change our ways. Together with the right management, we can repopulate the seas. We can reduce marine pollution and minimize the impact of ocean acidification. The oceans’ power of regeneration is remarkable if we just offer it the chance. It’s not too late.”