Commemoration of Charles Darwin

Commemoration of Charles Darwin

Commemoration of Charles Darwin began with geographical features named after him while he was still on the Beagle survey voyage. After his return, many species he collected were named in his honor, and his fame continued to grow. Today, many places, animals, and institutions carry his name.

Interest in Darwin’s work has inspired many books and studies, often called the Darwin Industry. His life has also been portrayed in films, television, and biographies. Every year, people celebrate Darwin Day to honor his contributions to science.

In 2009, the world marked two important milestones: the 200th anniversary of Darwin’s birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species. These events led to many celebrations and activities around the globe, showing how much people value his ideas and discoveries.

Geographical features

Many places were named after Charles Darwin. A body of water near the Beagle Channel is called Darwin Sound. Darwin and others helped save the ship's crew from danger. A mountain in the Andes is named Mount Darwin to celebrate his birthday. Another Darwin Sound was named in Canada. A harbor in Australia is called Port Darwin. The town there grew into the city of Darwin, now the capital of Australia's Northern Territory.

Scientific names

More than 300 species, nine genera, and some higher groups have been named after Charles Darwin. For example, Darwin's rhea is a bird he found in Patagonia, and Darwin's frog was found in Chile. In 2009, scientists named a fossil primate Darwinius to honor Darwin’s 200th birthday.

Genera named after Darwin include Darwinilus, a type of beetle, and Darwinopterus, a long-tailed flying reptile from China. Over 300 species have names like darwinii or darwini. These include Rhinoderma darwinii, a frog Darwin found during his travels, and Caerostris darwini, a large spider from Madagascar.

Institutions

Darwin's ideas are remembered in many places around the world. In Australia, you can visit Charles Darwin University and Charles Darwin National Park. In the United Kingdom, there is Darwin College, Cambridge, named for the Darwin family. The Linnean Society of London gives out the Darwin-Wallace Medal for important work in evolution.

The Charles Darwin Foundation in the Galápagos Islands helps with research and protecting nature. In 2009, many places celebrated the 200th year of Darwin's birth and the 150th year of his book, On the Origin of Species. There were exhibitions, festivals, and special coins and stamps to show how much people respect Darwin's work.

Media

Many books have been written about Charles Darwin. One is called The Origin by Irving Stone. Darwin's ideas inspired songs on The Low Anthem's 2008 album Oh My God, Charlie Darwin. He was played by Chris Larkin in a PBS documentary named Evolution.

In films and TV, Darwin appeared in the 2009 movie Creation and the 2012 movie The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists. This was based on a 2004 book. A TV series called Beagle: In Darwin's wake in 2009 and 2010 followed Darwin's trip on the HMS Beagle between 1831 and 1836.

Online

Charles Darwin is a main character in the animated web series Super Science Friends. He also appears in a musical battle with the cartoon character Ash Ketchum in the internet series Epic Rap Battles of History.