#steveirwin

Terri & Steve Irwin

COOLEST PEOPLE OF ALL-TIME

97. STEVE IRWIN

Stephen Robert Irwin, known as "The Crocodile Hunter", was an Australian zookeeper, conservationist, television personality, wildlife educator, and environmentalist. Irwin grew up around crocodiles and other reptiles and was educated regarding them by his father, Bob.

STEVE IRWIN

1962-2006

            Steve Irwin was born on his mother’s 20th birthday in Melbourne, Australia; not long after his parents moved to Queensland to run a wildlife park in Queensland. Irwin grew up around crocodiles, snakes, lizards, koalas and other animals. He was given a pet python on his 6th birthday, when he was 9 he was out catching crocodiles with his dad. They would have to catch crocodiles that wandered too close to towns and homes and would bring them back to the wilderness or to the park.

            Irwin got married to an American conservationist Teri Raines in 1992 and they spent their honeymoon in the wilderness. They had two children, Bindi and Robert, who also grew up with the love of animals and conservation. The Irwins started filming their adventures on video which led to making a television series, The Crocodile Hunter (1996) where Irwin became known for his catchphrase ‘Crickey!’.

            Every year, Irwin put $1 million into charity that purchased land around Australia for preservation. In 2003, Irwin was filming a documentary in Mexico when he and the crew heard on the radio that two scuba divers went missing in the area. The group suspended filming to search and discovered one of the divers clinging onto a rock ledge on the side of a cliff and he was helped into Irwin’s boat. The other diver, was found dead later that same day.

            Irwin died aged 44, on 4 September 2006 when a stingray barb pierced his chest and penetrated his heart which resulted in him bleeding to death. The incident took whilst shooting a documentary on the Great Barrier Reef.

            Irwin’s memorial took place on 20 September 2006; at the Australia Zoo ‘Crocoseum’. His daughter Bindi, aged 8, read a eulogy to her father, ‘I have the best daddy in the world and I will miss him every day. Most of all, he was fun. My daddy is my hero.’