February 2011 – The Friends of Charles Darwin

Boring the pants off people about Darwin

In which I respond to John S Wilkins' post 'Darwin Day: Enough already'.

Read article →

Now we are 3,000

The Friends of Charles Darwin have their 3,000th member.

Read article →

06-Mar-1860: Darwin on how to read ‘On the Origin of Species’

On the Origin of Species

On 6th March 1860, Charles Darwin advised a scientist he correctly believed to be sceptical of his views how to go about reading ‘On the Origin of Species’.

Read article →

The Darwin Bicentennial Oak, two years on

Two years ago today, to mark Charles Darwin's 200th birthday, I planted the Darwin Bicentennial Oak in my garden. Having survived two unusually harsh Yorkshire winters, here is how the oak looks today.

Read article →

The Darwin bicentennial oak, 10 years on
Ten years ago today, I planted the Darwin Bicentennial Oak in my garden.
Hello, Azerbaijan!
I am delighted to announce that the Friends of Charles Darwin have their first member from Azerbaijan.
A cat among the pigeons
Could Charles Darwin really have been a moggy murderer?
Maureen Brian, FCD (12 June 1942 – 31 July 2018)
I was sad to learn via Facebook that Maureen Brian died earlier today.
The problem writing a book about Charles Darwin
…there are so damn many of the things already, how do you make your book different?

03-Dec-1831: Darwin’s first night aboard HMS Beagle
Darwin records his experimentations with a hammock.
29-Jan-1839: Charles Darwin marries Emma Wedgwood
On 29th January 1839, after a short courtship and engagement, Charles Darwin married his cousin Emma Wedgwood at St Peter's Church, Maer, Staffordshire.
14-May-1856: Darwin starts writing his ‘big species book’
On 14 May 1856, Charles Darwin recorded in his journal that, on the advice of his friend Charles Lyell, after almost 20 years exploring the subject, he had finally begun writing a ‘sketch’ of his ideas on species.
If humans evolved from monkeys, how come there are still monkeys?
This is a question frequently posed by creationists—and quite often by perfectly rational people…
13-Jan-1833: The day HMS Beagle nearly sank
Charles Darwin’s closest brush with death during the Beagle voyage came on Sunday 13th January 1833, near that most infamous of nautical perils, Cape Horn.