An Icon Is Born
Attenborough was born on May 8, 1926, in Isleworth, Middlesex (now part of West London). His father, Frederick, was a principal, and his mother, Mary, was an English arts administrator. To give you a sense of the kind of home David and his brothers Richard and John grew up in (and the kind of men they became), you should know that in 1939, Attenborough’s parents fostered two Jewish refugee girls from Germany.
David Attenborough in 1956 with Bear Cub Benjamin Which He Brought Back From Borneo. Photo By Associated Newspapers /Shutterstock
After the girls had been with them for three weeks, the three boys were called into the study by their parents. Their mother said, “We absolutely love you boys, but we will have to show even more love to these girls because they are here on their own and without their parents. It is entirely up to you, darlings if they stay…” Helga and Irene Bejach lived with the Attenborough family for seven years. (More on this story later on…)