Commemoration of Charles Darwin

Last updated

In 1881 Darwin was an eminent figure, still working on his contributions to evolutionary thought that had had an enormous effect on many fields of science. Charles Robert Darwin by John Collier.jpg
In 1881 Darwin was an eminent figure, still working on his contributions to evolutionary thought that had had an enormous effect on many fields of science.

Commemoration of Charles Darwin began with geographical features named after Darwin while he was still on the Beagle survey voyage, continued after his return with the naming of species he had collected, and extended further with his increasing fame. Many geographical features, species and institutions bear his name. Interest in his work has led to scholarship and publications, nicknamed the Darwin Industry , and his life is remembered in fiction, film and TV productions as well as in numerous biographies. Darwin Day has become an annual event, and in 2009 there were worldwide celebrations to mark the bicentenary of Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species .

Contents

Geographical features

During Darwin's lifetime, many geographical features were given his name. An expanse of water adjoining the Beagle Channel was named Darwin Sound by HMS Beagle captain Robert FitzRoy after Darwin's prompt action, along with two or three of the men, saved them from being marooned on a nearby shore when a collapsing glacier caused a large wave that would have swept away their boats, [1] and the nearby Mount Darwin in the Andes was named in celebration of Darwin's 25th birthday. [2] Another Darwin Sound in British Columbia's Queen Charlotte Islands, between Moresby Island and Lyell Island, was named in 1878 by Canada's then-chief geographer George M. Dawson for Darwin. [3] When the Beagle was surveying Australia in 1839, Darwin's friend John Lort Stokes sighted a natural harbour which the ship's captain Wickham named Port Darwin. [4] The settlement of Palmerston founded there in 1869 was officially renamed Darwin in 1911. It became the capital city of Australia's Northern Territory. [4]

Scientific names

The holotype of Darwinilus sedarisi, published on Darwin's 205th birthday Habitus of the holotype of Darwinilus sedarisi Chatzimanolis - ZooKeys-379-029-g001.jpg
The holotype of Darwinilus sedarisi, published on Darwin's 205th birthday

More than 300 species, nine genera, and some higher taxa have been named after Darwin. [5] [6] [7] In 1837, the ornithologist John Gould named a specimen Darwin had collected in Patagonia Rhea darwinii, [8] priority was given to d'Orbigny's name for it, Rhea pennata, but it still has the common name of Darwin's rhea. Similarly, Darwin's frog, Rhinoderma darwinii, was so named because Darwin discovered the species in Chile, and the family Rhinodermatidae are commonly known as Darwin's frogs.

In 2009, a remarkably complete fossil primate from 47 million years ago was announced as a significant transitional fossil, and named Darwinius to celebrate Darwin's bicentenary. [9]

Although related to American Emberizidae or tanagers rather than finches, the group of species related to those Darwin found in the Galápagos Islands became popularly known as "Darwin's finches" following publication of David Lack's book of that name in 1947, fostering inaccurate legends about their significance to his work. [10]

Genera include:

Species Over 300 species are named darwinii , darwini , or charlesdarwini. Examples include:

Institutions

Statue of Charles Darwin at the Natural History Museum in London Charles Darwin statue 5661r.jpg
Statue of Charles Darwin at the Natural History Museum in London

Darwin in Australia features Charles Darwin University [12] and Charles Darwin National Park. [13] However, Darwin College, Cambridge, founded in 1964, was named in honour of the Darwin family, in part because they owned some of the site. [14]

Gold Darwin Prize medal of the Midland Union of Natural History Societies, awarded to James Eustace Bagnall in 1888 Darwin medal.jpg
Gold Darwin Prize medal of the Midland Union of Natural History Societies, awarded to James Eustace Bagnall in 1888

In 1880, Darwin consented to a request from the Midland Union of Natural History Societies to name their annual prize and medal in his honour. [15] The medal, by Joseph Moore, has an engraving of a bust of Darwin, on its obverse. [16] The wax model for the medal, and the unissued 1886 medal, which was sent to Darwin's family at that time, are now at Darwin's former home, Down House, [17] today a museum in his honour. [18] The Linnean Society of London has commemorated Darwin's achievements by the award of the Darwin-Wallace Medal since 1908.

In the Galápagos Islands, the Charles Darwin Foundation based at the Charles Darwin Research Station does research and conservation. To mark 2009 they are helping to reintroduce to Floreana Island (Charles Island) the specific mockingbird which first alerted Darwin to species being unique to islands. It was eradicated from the main island by European species, mainly rats and goats, but survived on two small islands nearby. [19]

Darwin came fourth in the 100 Greatest Britons poll sponsored by the BBC and voted for by the public. [20] [21] In 2000 Darwin's image appeared on the Bank of England ten pound note, replacing Charles Dickens. His impressive, luxuriant beard (which was reportedly difficult to forge) was said to be a contributory factor to the bank's choice. [22] [23] The design also featured a hummingbird and HMS Beagle. [24]

As a humorous celebration of evolution, the annual Darwin Award is bestowed on individuals who "improve our gene pool by removing themselves from it." [25]

Darwin day, and 2009 commemorations

Darwin Day has become an annual celebration, and in 2009 the bicentenary of Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species were celebrated by events and publications around the world. [26] The Darwin exhibition, after opening at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City in 2006, was shown at the Museum of Science, Boston, the Field Museum in Chicago, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, [27] then from 14 November 2008 to 19 April 2009 in the Natural History Museum, London, as part of the Darwin200 programme of events across the United Kingdom. [28] It also appears at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni in Rome from 12 February to 3 May 2009. [29] The University of Cambridge featured a festival in July 2009. [30] His birthplace, Shrewsbury, celebrated with "Darwin's Shrewsbury 2009 Festival" events during the year. [31] An abstract sculpture, The Quantum Leap , was erected for the celebrations, and unveiled on 8 October 2009 by Randal Keynes, a great-great-grandson of Darwin. A 'geological garden' was created on its site to mark the interest which Darwin had in the field during his childhood. [32]

The Quantum Leap, an abstract sculpture erected in 2009 in Darwin's birthplace, Shrewsbury, for the bi-centennial of his birth Quantum Leap - the sculpture - geograph.org.uk - 1708891.jpg
The Quantum Leap , an abstract sculpture erected in 2009 in Darwin's birthplace, Shrewsbury, for the bi-centennial of his birth

In the United Kingdom a special commemorative issue of the two pound coin shows a portrait of Darwin facing a chimpanzee surrounded by the inscription 1809 DARWIN 2009, with the edge inscription ON THE ORIGIN OF SPECIES 1859. Collector versions of the coin have been released at a premium, and during the year the coins will be available from banks and post offices at face value. [33] To celebrate Darwin's life and achievements, the BBC has commissioned numerous television and radio programmes known collectively as the BBC Darwin Season.

In September 2008, the Church of England issued an article saying that the 200th anniversary of his birth was a fitting time to apologise to Darwin "for misunderstanding you and, by getting our first reaction wrong, encouraging others to misunderstand you still". [34]

Since 2004, Universidad Francisco Marroquín (UFM) in Guatemala, has celebrated Darwin Day with a series of conferences that includes international speakers.

On 22 January 2013, a resolution was introduced to the United States Congress designating 12 February 2013 (Charles Darwin's 204th birthday) as "Darwin Day" to recognise "the importance of sciences in the betterment of humanity". [35]

Darwin's alma mater, Christ's College, commemorated the bicentenary with the unveiling of a life-sized bronze statue of the young Darwin (aged 22). [36] The statue was created by Anthony Smith and unveiled by Prince Philip on 12 February 2009. It now forms the centrepiece of the college's Darwin Garden. [37]

Books, films and series

Numerous biographies of Darwin have been written, and the 1980 biographical novel The Origin by Irving Stone gives a closely researched fictional account of Darwin's life from the age of 22 onward.

A dramatic motion picture entitled Creation was released in 2009, joining a short list of film dramas about Darwin, including The Darwin Adventure , released in 1972.

Beagle: In Darwin's wake was a Dutch-Flemish television series from 2009 and 2010 initiated by the VPRO in collaboration with Teleac and Canvas to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species . The series is centered on an 8-month voyage around the world (commenced on September 1, 2009) on board of the clipper Stad Amsterdam which follows the route of the five-year-long voyage of Charles Darwin on board of the ship HMS Beagle between 1831 and 1836.

Online

See also

Related Research Articles

HMS <i>Beagle</i> 10-gun brig-sloop of the Royal Navy; notably carried Charles Darwin

HMS Beagle was a Cherokee-class 10-gun brig-sloop of the Royal Navy, one of more than 100 ships of this class. The vessel, constructed at a cost of £7,803, was launched on 11 May 1820 from the Woolwich Dockyard on the River Thames. Later reports say the ship took part in celebrations of the coronation of King George IV of the United Kingdom, passing through the old London Bridge, and was the first rigged man-of-war afloat upriver of the bridge. There was no immediate need for Beagle, so she "lay in ordinary", moored afloat but without masts or rigging. She was then adapted as a survey barque and took part in three survey expeditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert FitzRoy</span> Royal Navy officer and scientist (1805–1865)

Vice-Admiral Robert FitzRoy was an English officer of the Royal Navy and a scientist. He achieved lasting fame as the captain of HMS Beagle during Charles Darwin's famous voyage, FitzRoy's second expedition to Tierra del Fuego and the Southern Cone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darwin's finches</span> Group of related bird species in the Galápagos Islands

Darwin's finches are a group of about 18 species of passerine birds. They are well known for their remarkable diversity in beak form and function. They are often classified as the subfamily Geospizinae or tribe Geospizini. They belong to the tanager family and are not closely related to the true finches. The closest known relative of the Galápagos finches is the South American dull-coloured grassquit. They were first collected when the second voyage of the Beagle visited the Galápagos Islands, with Charles Darwin on board as a gentleman naturalist. Apart from the Cocos finch, which is from Cocos Island, the others are found only on the Galápagos Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Gould</span> English ornithologist (1804–1881)

John Gould was an English ornithologist who published monographs on birds, illustrated by plates produced by his wife, Elizabeth Gould, and several other artists, including Edward Lear, Henry Constantine Richter, Joseph Wolf and William Matthew Hart. He has been considered the father of bird study in Australia and the Gould League in Australia is named after him. His identification of the birds now nicknamed "Darwin's finches" played a role in the inception of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection. Gould's work is referenced in Charles Darwin's book, On the Origin of Species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darwin Day</span> Annual commemoration of Charles Darwin and science

Darwin Day is a celebration to commemorate the birthday of Charles Darwin on 12 February 1809. The day is used to highlight Darwin's contributions to science and to promote science in general. Darwin Day is celebrated around the world.

The inception of Darwin's theory occurred during an intensively busy period which began when Charles Darwin returned from the survey voyage of the Beagle, with his reputation as a fossil collector and geologist already established. He was given an allowance from his father to become a gentleman naturalist rather than a clergyman, and his first tasks were to find suitable experts to describe his collections, write out his Journal and Remarks, and present papers on his findings to the Geological Society of London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darwin's rhea</span> Species of bird

Darwin's rhea or the lesser rhea is a large flightless bird, the smaller of the two extant species of rheas. It is found in the Altiplano and Patagonia in South America.

<i>Berberis darwinii</i> Species of shrub

Berberis darwinii, Darwin’s barberry, is a species of flowering plant in the family Berberidaceae, native to southern Chile and Argentina and naturalized elsewhere. Regional vernacular names include michay, calafate, and quelung. Growing to 3–4 m (9.8–13.1 ft) tall, it is an evergreen thorny shrub.

Second voyage of HMS <i>Beagle</i> Scientific research mission carrying Charles Darwin

The second voyage of HMS Beagle, from 27 December 1831 to 2 October 1836, was the second survey expedition of HMS Beagle, made under her newest commander, Robert FitzRoy. FitzRoy had thought of the advantages of having someone onboard who could investigate geology, and sought a naturalist to accompany them as a supernumerary. At the age of 22, the graduate Charles Darwin hoped to see the tropics before becoming a parson, and accepted the opportunity. He was greatly influenced by reading Charles Lyell's Principles of Geology during the voyage. By the end of the expedition, Darwin had made his name as a geologist and fossil collector, and the publication of his journal gave him wide renown as a writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Darwin</span> English naturalist and biologist (1809–1882)

Charles Robert Darwin was an English naturalist, geologist and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended from a common ancestor is now generally accepted and considered a fundamental concept in science. In a joint publication with Alfred Russel Wallace, he introduced his scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process he called natural selection, in which the struggle for existence has a similar effect to the artificial selection involved in selective breeding. Darwin has been described as one of the most influential figures in human history and was honoured by burial in Westminster Abbey.

John van Wyhe, is a British historian of science, with a focus on Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, at the National University of Singapore. He holds various academic and research positions, ranging from founder and director of The Complete Works of Charles Darwin Online, Scientific Associate, The Natural History Museum (London), a Fellow of the Linnean Society and a Member of the British Society for the History of Science. He has given more than 50 public lectures on Darwin in more than a dozen countries. He lectures and broadcasts on Darwin, evolution, science and religion and the history of science around the world. He also wrote The Darwin Experience, a biographical book about Charles Darwin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darwin's ringed worm lizard</span> Species of amphibaenian

Darwin's ringed worm lizard is a species of amphisbaenian in the family Amphisbaenidae, endemic to South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sarah Darwin</span> English botanist

Sarah Catherine Darwin FLS is a British botanist.

<i>Beagle: In Darwins wake</i> Dutch-Flemish television series

Beagle: In het kielzog van Darwin was a Dutch-Flemish television series from 2009 and 2010 initiated by the VPRO in collaboration with Teleac and Canvas, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Charles Darwin's ground-breaking book On the Origin of Species. The series is centred on an 8-month voyage around the world on board the clipper Stad Amsterdam, which follows the route of the five-year-long voyage of Charles Darwin on board of the ship HMS Beagle between 1831 and 1836. The Stad Amsterdam departed from the English port of Plymouth on September 1, 2009.

<i>Liolaemus darwinii</i> Species of lizard

Liolaemus darwinii, also known commonly as Darwin's tree iguana, is a species of lizard in the family Liolaemidae. The species is endemic to Argentina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darwin's iguana</span> Species of lizard

Diplolaemus darwinii, also commonly known as Darwin's iguana and the southern Patagonian lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Leiosauridae. The species is native to the southern tip of South America.

Extracts from Letters to Henslow, taken from ten letters Charles Darwin wrote to John Stevens Henslow from South America during the second survey expedition of HMS Beagle, were read to the Cambridge Philosophical Society on 16 November 1835 by Henslow and Adam Sedgwick, followed on 18 November by geological notes from the letters which Sedgwick read to the Geological Society of London. On 1 December 1835 they were printed as a pamphlet for private distribution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Evolution Day</span>

Evolution Day is a celebration to commemorate the anniversary of the initial publication of On the Origin of Species by Charles Darwin on 24 November 1859. Such celebrations have been held for over a century, but the specific term "Evolution Day" for the anniversary appears to be a neologism which was coined prior to 1997. By highlighting Darwin's contributions to science, the day's events are used to educate about evolutionary biology. It is similar to the better-known Darwin Day, held on the anniversary of his birth. It is unrelated to the secularization campaign by the Giordano Bruno Foundation to have the German public holiday of Ascension Day renamed to "Evolutionstag".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Smith (sculptor)</span> British sculptor (born 1984)

Anthony Smith is a British sculptor who works in bronze. He is known for his wildlife sculptures as well as his depictions of well-known figures, including Charles Darwin, Ian Fleming, and Alfred Russel Wallace. He has been awarded major public commissions including the design of a new £2 coin for the Royal Mint, the first new statue for London's Natural History Museum in more than eighty years, and a life-sized statue of Charles Darwin for Christ's College, Cambridge. In addition, he is a wildlife photographer.

References

  1. ↑ Fitzroy, Robert (1839). Narrative of the Surveying Voyages of His Majesty's Ships Adventure and Beagle. p. 216.
  2. ↑ "Outline of Darwin's Beagle voyage". www.aboutdarwin.com. Archived from the original on 2 April 2019.
  3. ↑ "Darwin Sound". BC Geographical Names .
  4. 1 2 "Territory origins". Northern Territory Department of Planning and Infrastructure, Australia. Archived from the original on 18 September 2006. Retrieved 15 December 2006.
  5. ↑ "Charles Darwin 200 years – Things you didn't know about Charles Darwin" . Retrieved 23 May 2009.
  6. ↑ Jozwiak, Piotr; Rewicz, Tomasz; Pabis, Krzysztof (2015). "Taxonomic etymology – in search of inspiration". ZooKeys (513): 143–160. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.513.9873 . PMC   4524282 . PMID   26257573.
  7. ↑ Miličić, D.; Lučić, L.; Pavković-Lučić, S. (2011). "How Many Darwins? – List Of Animal Taxa Named After Charles Darwin" (PDF). Natura Montenegrina. 10 (4): 515–532. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 July 2015.
  8. ↑ "Darwin, C. R. (Read 14 March 1837) Notes on Rhea americana and Rhea darwinii, Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London" . Retrieved 17 December 2008.
  9. ↑ Christine McGourty (19 May 2009). "Science & Environment; Scientists hail stunning fossil". BBC News. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
  10. ↑ Sulloway, Frank J. (1982), "The Beagle collections of Darwin's finches (Geospizinae)", Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Historical Series, vol. 43, no. 2, pp. 45–47, retrieved 8 December 2008
  11. ↑ Fidel Torcida Fernández-Baldor; José Ignacio Canudo; Pedro Huerta; Diego Montero; Xabier Pereda Suberbiola; Leonardo Salgado (2011). "Demandasaurus darwini, a new rebbachisaurid sauropod from the Early Cretaceous of the Iberian Peninsula". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 56 (3): 535–552. doi: 10.4202/app.2010.0003 .
  12. ↑ "Charles Darwin University Homepage" . Retrieved 15 December 2006.
  13. ↑ Charles Darwin National Park. Archived 18 January 2008 at the Wayback Machine Northern Territory, Australia Government. Retrieved on 15 December 2006.
  14. ↑ Darwin College:About Darwin. Archived 28 October 2009 at the Wayback Machine Darwin College, Cambridge University website. Retrieved on 10 December 2006.
  15. ↑ "The Darwin Medal". The Gardeners' Chronicle : 51. 9 July 1887.
  16. ↑ "101150 | Great Britain. Charles Darwin bronze Award Medal". Numismagram. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  17. ↑ "2.7 Joseph Moore, Midland Union medal". Darwin Correspondence Project. 17 September 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  18. ↑ "In praise of ... Down House". The Guardian. 15 June 2007. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  19. ↑ Lewis Smith (3 January 2009). "Mockingbird goes back to its origins in honour of Charles Darwin – Times Online". The Times. London. Retrieved 13 February 2009.
  20. ↑ Ten greatest Britons chosen, BBC News, 20 October 2002, retrieved 18 August 2009
  21. ↑ What’s on? BBC Great Britons. Archived 12 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine National Portrait Gallery. Retrieved on 15 December 2006.
  22. ↑ "How to join the noteworthy." BBC News (7 November 2000). Retrieved on 15 December 2006.
  23. ↑ "How to join the noteworthy". BBC News. 7 November 2000. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  24. ↑ "Bank of England - Banknotes - Current Banknotes - £10". bankofengland.co.uk. 25 May 2005. Archived from the original on 25 May 2005. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  25. ↑ Darwin Awards. DarwinAwards.com. Retrieved on 11 December 2007.
  26. ↑ Shapin, Steven (7 January 2010), The Darwin Show, London Review of Books , retrieved 25 January 2010
  27. ↑ "Darwin | American Museum of Natural History". Meet the curator. Archived from the original on 1 December 2008. Retrieved 28 November 2008.
  28. ↑ "Darwin 200: Celebrating Charles Darwin's bicentenary". Natural History Museum. Archived from the original on 3 December 2008. Retrieved 23 November 2008.
  29. ↑ "Palazzo delle Esposizioni". Darwin 1809 – 2009, A cura di Niles Eldredge, Ian Tattersall e Telmo Pievani. Archived from the original on 17 February 2009. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  30. ↑ "Darwin 2009 – The Festival". University of Cambridge. Archived from the original on 4 December 2008. Retrieved 23 November 2008.
  31. ↑ "Darwin's Shrewsbury 2009 Festival, Birthplace, History and Information" . Retrieved 16 December 2008.
  32. ↑ "Shrewsbury's Quantum Leap built". BBC News. 22 June 2009.
  33. ↑ "House of Commons Hansard Ministerial Statements for 12 July 2007" . Retrieved 23 November 2008.
  34. ↑ Good religion needs good science Archived 21 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine Rev Dr Malcolm Brown, Director of Mission and Public Affairs, Church of England. Retrieved 17 September 2008.
  35. ↑ Oppenheimer, Mark (1 February 2013). "Seeing Darwin Through Christian Eyes? It All Depends on the Christian". The New York Times . Retrieved 2 February 2013.
  36. ↑ "Sculptor challenges Darwin image". BBC News . Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  37. ↑ "Darwin Statue". Christ's College, Cambridge. Archived from the original on 31 October 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.