Art, culture & history images

This year, we celebrate two major anniversaries for Charles Darwin: the 200th anniversary of his birth and the 150th anniversary of the publication of  "The Origin of the Species."

Although destined to become one of the most influential voices in the understanding of humankind, Charles Darwin initially went to Edinburgh University in 1825 to study medicine.  It was at Edinburgh University that Darwin joined the Plinian Society where he likely had his first exposure to the debate between scientific examinations of natural causes vs. divine intervention. In 1827, Darwin quit medical school for good and was accepted to Christ’s College at Cambridge University. Darwin graduated in 1831 and in August of that same year, was invited to be a naturalist aboard the H.M.S. Beagle.

The voyage, which set sail on December 10, 1831, would last almost five years and would take Darwin and his fellow adventurers to South America, Australia, New Zealand, Africa and Polynesia. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this voyage was the exploration of the flora and fauna of the Galapagos Islands.