Newsletter – The Friends of Charles Darwin

Newsletter No. 6: Building on a theory

To mark Charles Darwin’s 211th birthday, some thoughts on his 1871 classic, The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex, an unlikely anecdote about a snail, plus all the usual book reviews and links to Darwin-related news stories.

Read article →

Newsletter No. 5: Discovery and adventure

Our fifth newsletter marks the anniversary of Charles Darwin setting sail aboard HMS Beagle.

Read article →

Newsletter No. 4: Giant leaps

Apollo 11 · Origin of Species · Richard Owen · Charles Lyell · sloths · lice · deaf moths · pregnant lizards · puppy eyes · palaeoanthropology · book reviews · heads on spikes!

Read article →

Newsletter No. 3: Knee-deep in barnacles

Our third newsletter marks Charles Darwin’s 210th birthday.

Read article →

Newsletter No. 2: Writing with a dip pen

Our second newsletter marks the 159th anniversary of the publication of ‘On the Origin of Species’…

Read article →

The Darwin bicentennial oak, 11 years on
Eleven years ago today, I planted the Darwin Bicentennial Oak in my garden.
An embarrassment of Richards
In which my head appears on a spike (six times).
Hello, Serbia!
I am delighted to announce that the Friends of Charles Darwin have their first member from Serbia.
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.

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.