Today is Charles Darwin's 200th birthday. He was born on February 12, 1809 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, and lived until the age of 73. Here he is at the age of seven:
The learned man was 51 when he first published On the Origin of Species, and though some have said that he might have been quite amazed to see and hear peoples' reactions, both pro and con, to his epic published work today, that is far from the truth. Darwin did not at first explicitly apply the evolutionary theory to human beings. In 1857 he wrote: "You ask me whether I shall discuss man. I think I shall avoid the whole subject, as so surrounded by prejudice." He also knew that his challenge to the Biblical doctrine would cause a great deal of stress to his friends and family, among them his religious wife.
As a youngster (seen above), Charles Darwin was known to have a taste for natural history and collecting, a fascination that he followed for his lifetime. His long life of patient, continuous work was perhaps the most fruitful, the most inspiring, of all in the in the annals of modern science. As a result of his work, evolution matured into a well-developed scientific theory, which has been a constant target of religious and pseudo-scientific attacks. Reading his works, one can't miss this observation:
“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”
~ Charles Darwin
Whether you're a proponent of evolution or of creationism, you would gain much by remaining objective and reading Darwin's works, especially On the Origin of Species, available through Amazon.com (with some paperback editions at just $5.00), or reading it online at Darwin-Literature.com. You can also find this book at your public library.
