Darwin Day
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Darwin Day is the anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin on February 12, 1809.
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[edit] History
Darwin provided the first coherent theory of evolution by means of natural selection. He published his theories after Alfred Russel Wallace proposed a theory of natural selection, which prompted Charles Darwin to publish his own more developed and researched theory sooner than he had intended. Wallace was also one of the leading evolutionary thinkers of the 19th century who made a number of other contributions to the development of evolutionary theory, but Darwin's excellent writing and high social position gave him preeminence among scientists. The theory has had far-reaching implications in almost all disciplines and has rocked the very foundation of our knowledge base. Human civilization has been deeply affected by Darwin's work, with over 150 years of evidence collected that supports his initial findings. Modification and refinement to the details of the theory continue among contemporary scientists. For his contributions to humanity and his commitment to the scientific method, Charles Darwin is celebrated globally on February 12th each year.
[edit] Recognition
The celebration of Darwin's work and tributes to his life have been organized since his death in 1882. Events take place at Down House, in Downe on the southern outskirts of London. Darwin and his family lived here from 1842 until 1929 when English Heritage turned the home into a museum. The English city of Shrewsbury, where Darwin was born in 1809, has also celebrated the life and work of Charles Darwin for several decades. With the event now spanning several days, it is called the "Darwin Festival."
In the United States, the first Darwin Day (also renamed to Darwin Festival) was held at Salem College in Massachusetts in 1980 and continues today. The first event receiving national attention was organized by Massimo Pigliucci with students and colleagues at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in the early 1990s. The event included several public lectures and activities as well as a teachers' workshop meant to helps 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 creationist movement.
In Canada, the first Darwin Day event took place at the University of Guelph in 1994, in the form of a symposium. Professors and students were invited to showcase posters and other educational materials with other activities taking place across the campus. The event was organized by Amanda Chesworth, volunteer professors, and fellow students.
The Humanist Community of Palo Alto also began annual lectures in celebration of Charles Darwin beginning in 1995. The humanist community later adopted the title of Darwin Day for its annual event and chose the date of February 12th.
The Freedom from Religion Foundation, the Center for Inquiry, and the American Humanist Association in the United States, as well as the British Humanist Association in England, have helped to spread awareness about Darwin Day. In 1999, the Campus Freethought Alliance and the Alliance for Secular Humanists began promoting Darwin Day among members. Humanist and skeptic groups welcomed the event and an increase in celebrations on or around February 12th spread across the US and in several other countries. The organizers behind this effort included Massimo Pigliucci, Amanda Chesworth, and Joann Mooney.
D.J. Grothe continues to champion this effort among groups associated with the Center for Inquiry Campus and Community programs. Center for Inquiry branches across the world also organize Darwin Day events. Free Inquiry magazine, the flagship publication of the Council for Secular Humanism, and Skeptical Inquirer, the flagship publication of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, advertised the event and attracted further individuals and groups. Andrea Steele promoted the event within Families in Reason program. The Secular Student Alliance and other organizations committed to reason and rationality also participate in the annual celebration.
[edit] Darwin Day Program
In 2001 Amanda Chesworth, with the help of Massimo Pigliucci, Robert Stephens, and Deidre Conn, began the Darwin Day Program and registered the organization as a non-profit organization in the U.S. state of New Mexico. The program is now registered as a non-profit in the state of California. The slogan of the program became "A Global Celebration of Science and Humanity." Amanda Chesworth served as executive director, Robert Stephens as president, and Massimo Pigliucci as vice-president. Future board members included Robert Beeston, Sharon Hill, Alan Levin, Arthur Jackson, Benjamin Wade, Mary White and Robert Siegel. International representatives included Vicki Hyde for Oceania, Juan De Gennaro for South America, Richard Carter in the UK, C. P. Ragesh in UAI, and other individuals for India, Africa, Italy and Canada.
[edit] Program's mission
The mission of the Darwin Day program is to increase the number of events taking place on February 12th and to provide an anchor point in which to combine the efforts of groups across the world. The objectives are to educate the public about Charles Darwin's contributions and the mechanism of natural selection as well as to defend science against the creationist (later renamed Intelligent Design) movement and to promote a greater appreciation and understanding of science as a tool for unravelling the mysteries of our universe.
[edit] Support
The Darwin Day Program has sought and received support from scientists and science enthusiasts across the globe. Educators began to participate by offering special lessons to their students on or around February 12th. Cooperation from media such as the Guardian in the UK, Scientific American, New Scientist, the Discovery Channel, and others, helped to promote the event further. Several articles appeared in newspapers across the world and helped to attract more participants. Organizations such as the Center for Inquiry, the National Center for Science Education, the Linnaean Society, the British Humanist Association, the International Humanist and Ethical Union, came on board to champion the holiday. Further scientists, philosophers, historians, and physicians lent their name in support of the program: Daniel Dennett, Steven Pinker, Eugenie Scott, Steven Jones, Elliott Sober, Sir John Maddox, Helena Cronin, William Calvin, John Rennie, Paul Kurtz, Carl Zimmer, Edward O. Wilson, Michael Shermer, Susan Blackmore, Michael Ruse, Richard Leakey, Niles Eldridge, Colin Tudge among other well known evolutionists. Musicians and entertainers such as Richard Miller and Stephen Baird also came on board.
[edit] Events
The diversity of events planned for Darwin Day afford activities for all ages and walks of life. Events may include dinner parties with special recipes for primordial soup and other inventive dishes, protests with boards of education and government bodies, workshops and syposiums, distribution of information by people in ape costumes, lectures and debates, essay and art competitions, concerts, poetry readings, reenactments of the Scopes Trial and the debate between Thomas H. Huxley and Bishop Wilberforce, library displays, museum exhibits, travel and educational tours, recreations of the journey of the HMS Beagle, church sermons, movie nights, outreach, and nature hikes.
Some celebrants also combine Darwin Day with a celebration of Abraham Lincoln, who was also born on February 12th, 1809. Still others like to celebrate the many great minds that influenced or were influenced by Darwin's work, such as Thomas H. Huxley, Charles Lyell, Alfred Russell Wallace, Carl Sagan, and Ernst Mayr.
An unusual spin-off of the Darwin Day 2005 event in Birmingham, England was the creation of the Origin of Species in Dub, a celebration of Darwin's masterpiece realized through the medium of reggae and dub music. CDs have also been recorded by the Scientific Gospel and Richard Miller. Plays, artwork, and comedy routines have been created by numerous people showing the mix of the arts and sciences within the celebration.
[edit] Expansion
Through advertising, marketing and campaigning, the Darwin Day Program has expanded to include religious organizations and individuals. In 2006, Michael Zimmerman, a professor of biology and dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Butler University, founded the "Evolution Sunday" program. Lectures and sermons were held at 530 congregations across the United States for Darwin Day 2007. Evolution Sunday is intended to show that faith and evolutionary science are compatible.
[edit] Present Times
In 2003 Amanda Chesworth published a book collection of articles, entertainment, high school essays, cartoons, etc., under the title Darwin Day Collection One: The Greatest Idea Ever. A portrait of Charles Darwin drawn by Aaron Chesworth and recreated from a painting in the Portrait Gallery of London, was used on the cover. The design and layout were completed by graphic artist Dave Feroe. Editors included Kevin Lipovsky, Ward Chesworth, Sharon Hill, Eric Snyder and Robert Beeston. The book was published by Tangled Bank Press. Tributes were given to William Hamilton and Stephen Jay Gould, who had died the previous year. Contributions were provided by a number of publications, organizations, and individuals. The objectives of the book were to show the multidisciplinary reach of Charles Darwin and to meld academic work with popular culture.
Some advocates would like a public holiday declared for February 12, 2009. Robert Beeston was successful in championing this effort in Des Moines, Iowa, in 2003; progress has also been made in England and Australia. Charles Darwin now appears on the Bank of England ten-pound note and has been celebrated on postage stamps in several countries.
[edit] Future
2009 will mark an important year for Darwin Day celebrations. The year will be the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth, and will also mark the 150th anniversary of the publication of Darwin's On the Origin of Species. Events are already being planned; most prominent among them are events in Shrewsbury and at the Natural History Museum in London.
