CHARLES DARWIN'S 200th BIRTHDAY

Charles Darwin was born on 12th February 1809,

and his "On the Origin of Species" is 150 years old.

Charles Darwin was an English naturalist who realised and demonstrated that all species of life have evolved over time from common ancestors through a process he called NATURAL SELECTION. Evolution became accepted by the scientific community and much of the general public in his lifetime, while his theory of natural selection came to be widely seen as the primary explanation of the process of evolution.

His passion for natural science and his five-year voyage led him to publish his journal of the voyage, which made him famous. Darwin investigated the transmutation of species and conceived his theory of natural selection.

His 1859 book"On the origin of species" established evolutionary descent with modification as the dominant scientific explanation of diversification in nature. It proved unexpectedly popular, with the entire stock of 1,250 copies oversubscribed when it went on sale to booksellers on 22 November 1859. In the book, Darwin set out “one long argument” of detailed observations, inferences and consideration of anticipated objections. The "Origin of Species" was translated into many languages, becoming a staple scientific text attracting thoughtful attention from all walks of life.

Darwin Day has become an annual celebration, and the bicentenary of Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of "On the origin of species" are being celebrated by events and publications around the world.