LONDON — The BBC will broadcast a live celebration from London's Royal Albert Hall on BBC One to mark the 100th birthday of naturalist David Attenborough. The event will feature music from his programmes alongside stories and reflections from public figures and leading advocates for the natural world.

"I had rather thought that I would celebrate my 100th birthday quietly, but it seems that many of you have had other ideas." Attenborough said. "I've been completely overwhelmed by birthday greetings, from preschool groups to care home residents and countless individuals and families of all ages. I simply can't reply to each of you all separately, but I would like to thank you all most sincerely for your kind messages."

The Royal Albert Hall gathering is one of several tributes timed to the milestone. Cinemas are playing Attenborough's nature films, and the Natural History Museum is running an immersive exhibition titled Our Story With David Attenborough until August. The museum has also named a newly discovered species of parasitic wasp, Attenboroughnculus tau, after him. Staff at Kew Gardens recorded a birthday message and called on people to honour him by taking greater care of plants and fungi. The Australian Museum will offer free entry to a new exhibition, Bloodsuckers: Nature's Vampires, in tribute.

Naturalist Chris Packham offered praise ahead of the birthday. "He is the greatest living broadcaster and has been the greatest ambassador for life on Earth the planet has and will ever see. And, equally importantly, he's a nice bloke, an enthusiast, a passionate naturalist and a clever and considered communicator. And we love him because we trust him because he's always told us the truth as we know it. And what a legacy that is!"

Producer Alastair Fothergill, a longtime collaborator, reflected on Attenborough's impact on wildlife television. "Working with David over the decades has been one of the great privileges of my life. Before him, wildlife television was often seen as niche or educational programming, but David brought the wonders of the planet into people's living rooms in a completely new way. Suddenly, audiences everywhere cared about places and animals they'd never seen before." Fothergill said Attenborough does not like being famous, recalling his frequent reminder: "Remember, the animals are the stars, I'm not."

Attenborough was born in Isleworth, west London, in 1926 and brought up near Leicester. After serving in the navy and working in publishing, he applied for a job at the BBC in 1950 and began making factual programmes soon after, including a series from London Zoo. He was appointed controller of BBC2 in 1965, where he commissioned the first episodes of The Old Grey Whistle Test and developed the documentary series Civilisation. He created the 13-part series Life on Earth in 1979.