Darwin 200: Celebrating the life and science of Charles Darwin
9 June 2008
Charles Darwin's 200th birthday falls on 12 February 2009, but Darwin 200 encompasses two other significant anniversaries in the great man's life: on 1 July 2008 it will be 150 years to the day since Alfred Russel Wallace and Darwin's theories of natural selection were publicly announced. Then 24 November 2009 will be the 150th anniversary of the publication of ‘On the Origin of Species’.
Darwin's ideas of evolution through natural selection revolutionised our understanding of nature and continue to underpin much of today's biomedical research. For example, the Wellcome Trust funds scientists studying the evolution of bacteria and resistance to antibiotics, tracing the role of Darwinian selection in the development of language, and finding ways to harness mechanisms of evolution to control the spread of infectious diseases.
The Trust is supporting a range of public engagement initiatives for Darwin200, including a number of innovative film and television projects and activities for schoolchildren across the UK. We are also exploring the ideas of Darwin and their impact on culture. As part of this, in January 2008, we produced a series of video vox pops to find out what some people on the streets of London think about Darwin, his ideas and their impact on the world.
Clare Matterson, Director of Medicine, Society and History at the Wellcome Trust, said: "2009 is going to be a fantastic year celebrating the life of Charles Darwin, one of the world's most influential scientists. We are funding a range of national projects to engage people of all ages with the scientific legacy of Darwin's ideas."
