Six Hours of Sir David Attenborough’s 99 Most Iconic Moments

In a birthday tribute to the legend himself, Sir David Attenborough, who turned 99 today, BBC Earth shared over six hours of the naturalist’s “most iconic moments.”

First appearing on BBC more than 70 years ago, English broadcaster, writer, biologist, and natural historian Sir David Attenborough has had a tremendous impact on the world, playing a significant role not only inspiring generations of conservationists, but also for his passionate storytelling and dedication to bringing the most rare and fascinating wildlife moments to viewers around the globe. He is best known for his nine-part nature documentary series The Life Collection, and his outstanding narration of BBC series Wildlife on One, The Blue Planet, and Planet Earth, among many others.

So acclaimed and recognized for his services in television and conservation, Sir David Attenborough has been knighted twice, first in 1985. His second Knighthood in June 2022 is one of the highest honors, being appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George for his campaigns to protect nature through his groundbreaking nature television programming.

In addition to achieving many awards and honors over his storied career, several plants and animals have been named after him including a rare butterfly tropical forests in South America, “Euptychia attenboroughi,” as well as an extinct ancient Marine reptile, plesiosaur “Attenborosaurus conybeare,” that lived in the sea at the same time as dinosaurs, millions of years ago.

In 2018, for another of Sir David Attenborough’s birthdays, the British Antarctic Survey, which specializes in polar exploration, named their newest vessel the RRS Sir David Attenborough.

Now, to celebrate Sir David Attenborough’s 99th birthday, BBC Earth has shared a video collection over six hours long titled “99 Iconic Moments From Sir David Attenborough” with a highlights reel for social media posted “99 Years in 99 Seconds, Happy Birthday Sir David!”

The full video is a captivating collection of, as the title aptly describes, Sir David Attenborough’s best films narrating the stories of wildlife species with his signature emotive yet educational approach to narrating wildlife behavior. Gray whales, red foxes, Atlantic puffins, bison, dolphins, even down to minuscule tadpoles, animals of all shapes and sizes are documented facing the trials and tribulations of every aspect of the circle of life, from heartwarming to heart-wrenching.

This tribute to the legendary Sir David Attenborough demonstrates just how dedicated and critical his career has been to documenting nature for all to enjoy. Happy Birthday, Sir David Attenborough!

Image credits: Featured image created using a portrait of Sir David Attenborough captured by John Cairns. Cairns’ photo is licensed via Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International.