David Attenborough Celebrates His 100th Birthday in 2026 — Is He Still Working?

For those living in the UK, David Attenborough is likely a household name. That's because the former BBC news producer became a veritable fixture in the homes of Britons, as he developed and grew the region's natural history programing, which quickly grew to include everything from documentaries on animals, to quiz shows.

Once he had his fill of that, he turned to freelance broadcasting, where he created several famous series about different animals and life on our planet.

His popularity only grew as his work with the environment continued, and he eventually created some of the most popular docuseries to ever air.

However, even with all of the time he's spent behind and in front of the camera, many people still feel like they don't know that much about Attenborough. That's left some wondering when David Attenborough's 100th birthday will be, and how the beloved broadcaster plans to spend his big day... and with whom. Keep reading to find out more.

David Attenborough will have 100 candles on his birthday cake on May 8, 2026. Born in Isleworth, Middlesex, the filmmaker is the middle of three boys, each of whom also have a claim to fame.

According to Wikipedia, Attenborough's older brother shares his love of film and was both an actor and director, while his younger brother grew up to become an executive for Alfa Romeo, the Italian car company.

The soon-to-be centenarian plans to celebrate his 100th birthday with a walk down memory lane via his new documentary, Life on Earth: Attenborough's Greatest Adventure, according to Yahoo! Entertainment.

While Attenborough clearly has had a storied career, it isn't exactly over, according to Reuters. That's because he continues to work as an environmentalist, and has shared plenty of new stories over recent years.

And while he doesn't have any upcoming projects listed on his IMDB, Attenborough hasn't announced his plans to retire, which means that his 70-year career could span into his 100th year of life... if he so chooses.

Knowing what an activist and supporter of the planet Attenborough is, it's hard to believe that he served in a wartime effort. But, he did, and he served with the Navy during WWII.

However, he found the experience a bit disappointing, since he had hoped that he would get a chance to sail around the world. According to National Geographic Kids, those hopes and dreams were quickly dashed after Attenborough found himself stationed on a boat that spent two years in North Wales instead.

One of Attenborough's biggest fans was likely his wife, Jane Elizabeth Ebsworth Oriel. According to Britannica, the pair wed in 1950 and had two children, Susan and Robert.

The duo remained inseparable until 1997, when his wife was hospitalized with a sudden brain hemorrhage.

The filmmaker had been working in New Zealand at the time, but fortunately he was able to make it to his wife's bedside to be there before she died.