12 February 2012

This day in history:
/calendar/ On February 12, 1809, Charles Robert Darwin was born at The Mount in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England. Darwin was one of the last of the eclectic scientists who preceded the age of professional specialization. His genius lay in his ability to select, from the facts which he so diligently collected, every relevant point and fit it into his bold and far-reaching theories. He was not the first to advance a theory of evolution; but his massive weight of evidence carried conviction where earlier theorists had failed. He was shy and modest and shrank from controversy, an unfortunate trait in the author of the most controversial book of the century. read more