Darwin Day

Held on : 12th February

Charles Robert Darwin (12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist. He showed to the world that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestors, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection. He published his theory with compelling evidence for evolution in his 1859 book, 'On the Origin of Species'. In recognition of Darwin's pre-eminence as a scientist, he was one of only five 19th-century UK non-royal personages to be honoured by a state funeral and was buried in Westminster Abbey, close to John Herschel and Isaac Newton. In 1831, Darwin set out on H.M.S. Beagle as a self-financed gentleman companion to the 26-year-old captain, Robert Fitzroy. The Beagle was on a British science expedition around the world. In South America Darwin found fossils of extinct animals that were similar to modern species. On the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean he noticed many variations among plants and animals of the same general type as those in South America. The expedition visited places around the world, and Darwin studied plants and animals everywhere he went, collecting specimens for further study. Upon his return to London in 1836, Darwin conducted thorough research of his notes and specimens.

Out of this study grew several related theories:

1. Evolution did occur.
2. Evolutionary change was gradual, requiring thousands to millions of years.
3. The primary mechanism for evolution was a process called natural selection.
4. The millions of species alive today arose from a single original life form through a branching process called “speciation.”

It is the contribution of Darwin in understanding the evolution and related aspects that the Darwin Day was established. It is an international celebration of science and humanity held on or around February 12. Specifically, it celebrates the discoveries and life of Charles Darwin - the man who first described biological evolution via natural selection with scientific rigour. More generally, Darwin Day expresses gratitude for the enormous benefits that scientific knowledge, acquired through human curiosity and ingenuity, has contributed to the advancement of humanity.

History

The celebration of Darwin's work and tributes to his life have been organized sporadically since his death on April 19, 1882, at age 73. Events took place at Down House, in Downe on the southern outskirts of London where Darwin and members of his family lived from 1842 until the death of Emma Darwin in 1896. In 1909, 265 scientists and dignitaries from 167 countries met in Cambridge, England, to honour Darwin's contributions and to discuss vigorously the recent discoveries and related theories contesting for acceptance. This was a widely reported event of public interest. Also in 1909, on February 12, the 100th birth anniversary of Darwin and the 50th anniversary of the publication of 'The Origin of Species' were celebrated by the New York Academy of Sciences at the American Museum of Natural History. A bronze bust of Darwin was unveiled. On June 2, 1909 the Royal Society of New Zealand held a "Darwin Celebration".

On November 24–28, 1959, The University of Chicago held a major, well publicized, celebration of Darwin and the publication of On the 'Origin of Species'. Scientists and academics sometimes celebrated February 12 with "Phylum Feast" events - a meal with foods from as many different phyla as they could manage, at least as early as 1972, 1974, and 1989 in Canada. In the United States, Salem State College in Massachusetts has held a "Darwin Festival" annually since 1980 and in 2005, registered "Darwin Festival" as a service mark with the US Patent and Trademark Office.

The Humanist Community of Palo Alto, California, was motivated by Dr. Robert Stephens in late 1993 to begin planning for an annual "Darwin Day" celebration. The first event sponsored by the Stanford Humanists student group and the Humanist Community, was held on April 22, 1995. The famous anthropologist Dr. Donald Johanson,  who discovered the early fossil human called ‘Lucy’, gave a lecture entitled "Darwin and Human Origins" to over 600 people in the Kresge Auditorium. The Humanist Community continues its annual celebration of Darwin, science, and humanity, on February 12.

In 1997, Professor Massimo Pigliucci, Independently, initiated an annual "Darwin Day" event with students and colleagues at the University of Tennessee.The event included several public lectures and activities as well as a teachers' workshop meant to help elementary and secondary school teachers better understand evolution and how to communicate it to their students, as well as how to deal with the pressures often placed on them by the creationism movement.

The International Darwin Day Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)3 educational corporation, and its mission is to promote the public education about science and to encourage the celebration of science and humanity. It is managed by the American Humanist Association as an autonomous program. The foundation is closely associated with making this event a worldwide event. Darwin Day is a global celebration of science and reason held on or around Feb. 12th, the birthday anniversary of evolutionary biologist Charles Darwin. The year 2009 marked the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth. Darwin Day is a recently instituted celebration intended to commemorate the anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin on February 12, 1809. The day is used to highlight Darwin's contribution to science and to promote science in general.

Events - Organisations that support this day are Council for Secular Humanism, the Freedom from Religion Foundation, the Centre for Inquiry and the American Humanist Association in the United States, as well as the British Humanist Association in the UK. The Campus Freethought Alliance and the Alliance for Secular Humanist Societies, the International Humanist and Ethical Union etc. are other major organisations supporting this day.

Darwin Day is celebrated in many different ways: civic ceremonies with official proclamations, educational symposia, art shows, book discussions, lobby days, games, protests, and dinner parties. Organizers also include: academic societies, science organizations, freethought groups, religious congregations, libraries, museums, galleries, teachers and students, families and friends.

Holiday Status - It is not a public holiday.