Celebrate Darwin Day Every February 12

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Today we say happy birthday to Charles Darwin. He was born on February 12, 1809, and Darwin Day celebrates the anniversary of that day.

You probably learned about Darwin in school. He was the English naturalist who proposed the principle of natural selection to explain evolution.

He published his famous book, On the Origin of Species, in 1859. This book became the foundation for understanding evolutionary biology.

He didn’t come up with the idea of evolution itself. That idea had existed in some (admittedly primitive) form for centuries. It was his explanation for how it happens—through natural selection—that revolutionized our understanding of Earth’s diversity of life.

This principle helped advance science and eventually improve our quality of life.

Darwin’s ideas do have their critics of course. A 2013 Pew Research Center poll reported 60% of American adults believe in evolution. Thirty-three percent believe “humans … have existed in their present form since the beginning of time.”

And the fossil record is too incomplete to fully support natural selection. Some see this as enough reason to throw out the whole idea.

But is it really? No. But it is a reason to keep asking questions. And to keep looking for the answers to fill in the holes in our knowledge.

 

Darwin Day: Officially recognized?

There has been a push in recent years to make Darwin Day an officially recognized holiday. Former Representative Pete Stark (D-CA) introduced a resolution in 2011 to do so.

That effort failed and was reintroduced by Rep Rush Holt (D-NJ) in 2013 and 2014. These also failed.

But the idea is unlikely to go away. In fact, in January 2015 Delaware Governor Jack Markell (D) declared Darwin Day as an official day for his state.

He made the declaration again in 2016. Arizona and Linn County, Iowa also proclaimed Darwin Day in 2016.

And in 2017 Delaware’s new governor John Carney declared Feb.12 as Darwin Day in the state.

In 2018 Morgantown, NC’s mayor made the day official for his city.

Scroll down for some ideas on celebrating this (mostly) unofficial holiday.

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Celebrating Darwin Day

What better way to celebrate Darwin Day than by learning more about the man, his life and his ideas?

Read an overview of Darwin’s life and work at the American Museum of Natural History.

See his drawings and notes in his own hand: The museum’s Darwin Manuscripts Project digitized his manuscripts and offers them for free on the site. You do have to agree to certain terms before you can see them, but there’s no login or fee.

Attend a lecture: Many schools and museums around the country hold lectures and other programs in honor of Darwin Day.

Many, though not all, focus on how we can use our understanding of evolution and natural selection to improve our lives. For example in fighting infections or understanding how changes in the environment can impact people and animals living in the areas affected.

You can find a list of many planned events around the world on the International Darwin Day website. They’re not necessarily on Darwin Day, though. So make sure you check the date!

You can also check with nearby universities, museums and even libraries to see what they may have planned.

Read one of his books:

• On the Origin of Species (Kindle edition)
• The Origin of Species: 150th Anniversary Edition (Paperback, with introduction by Julian Huxley)
• The Descent Of Man (The follow-up to Origin of Species)

 

How will you be celebrating Darwin Day this year?

 

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