Tragic phone call that turned David Attenborough's world upside down
Sir David Attenborough turns 99 on Thursday, with the world using his birthday as a chance to celebrate his incredible career and achievements. However, the beloved broadcaster will likely experience a tinge of sadness on his special day.
The presenter and biologist's wife died almost 30 years ago, leaving Sir David to live his final chapter on earth without his soulmate by his side. The dad-of-two was filming in New Zealand when he received the life-changing call in 1997 telling him that his wife Jane, 70, had suffered a brain haemorrhage and had fallen into a coma.
"She never recovered consciousness but she knew I was back because she clasped my hand," Sir David once recalled. "The surgeon very gently and compassionately said that there was no way he could operate because she simply wasn't strong enough. She died one day short of our 47th wedding anniversary. It was a very happy marriage."
Childhood sweethearts Sir David and Jane met at the age of 18 and tied the knot at the age of 24, when the BBC broadcaster had finished his national service with the Royal Navy. The happy couple welcomed two children into the world together; son Robert and daughter Susan.
Discussing his late wife with the Daily Mail, Sir David fondly remembered: "My wife was a very special woman. She gave up her career as a cook when we married because she was old-fashioned enough to believe that being married and having a family was a career. But she was special in the sense that she let me go off around the world. She knew it made me happy; she wanted that for me."
Ahead of his milestone birthday on Thursday, it was announced that Sir David is to present an immersive experience at the Natural History Museum that delves into the story of humankind.
The naturalist and broadcaster, who is known for BBC documentaries including Wild Isles and the Planet Earth series, will draw upon his career and hopes for the planet in the immersive display that opens this June.
Our Story With David Attenborough , located in the museum's Jerwood Gallery, includes cinematic projection technology that will bring the gallery walls and floor to life with footage of the natural world.
Sir David said: "Humanity is the most influential species on Earth. We depend entirely on this magnificent planet, yet its future is in our hands.
"My hope is that visitors of all ages will experience our extraordinary journey at the Natural History Museum and come away feeling inspired, informed and most of all, empowered about their integral role in our world. This is our story and we can all play a significant role."
Beginning at the start of the planet, more than four billion years ago, Sir David documents our earliest beginnings and how we came to change the world around us. He also reflects on the good and the bad he has witnessed throughout his career and shares his hopes for our planet.
The 50-minute 360 immersive experience has been created in collaboration with Sir David and production team Open Planet Studios. The new experience adds to a roster of other offerings from the museum following the opening of Fixing Our Broken Planet in April and the imminent arrival of Space: Could Life Exist Beyond Earth?, on May 16.
Our Story With David Attenborough opens at the Natural History Museum on June 19 2025. Tickets will be available from May 22.
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