Charles Darwin Bicentennial: February 12, 1809 - February 12, 2009
Charles Darwin (photo by Margaret Cameron)
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"The mystery of the beginning of all things is insoluble by us; and I for one must be content to remain an agnostic."
Charles Darwin is perhaps the most well-known naturalist in history, and the author of the scientific works - On the Origin of Species, and The Descent of Man (among others) - that formed the basis for modern evolutionary theory and, as the BBC's Focus Magazine put it, "fundamentally changed the way we look at life on earth."(link) Darwin's works proposed a basis for species to change by natural processes over time - a process called "natural selection" - and further proposed in The Descent of Man that humankind had descended from a "...hairy, tailed quadruped, probably arboreal in its habits." The IUP Libraries are particularly proud to own a complete collection of Darwin's first-edition works, which are housed in our Special Collections and University Archives under the care of our archivist, Harrison Wick. These works represent both a notable historical artifact and an invaluable resource to scholars of science, history, religion, and many other disciplines who wish to explore the work, life, and mind of Charles Darwin. |
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Upcoming Events at IUP
Friends of the Library Presents Dr. Clarence Harms: April 14th, 2009 2:00PM
Dr. Clarence Harms is professor emeritus of Biology from Westminster College, and currently the director of Westminster's Field Station. He will be presenting a talk on Darwin's work in the Galapagos Islands, as well as discussion of Dr. Harms' own trips to the Galapagos for research and teaching.
Darwin First Edition Exhibit at IUP Libraries
A selection of the Libraries' collection of first editions of Darwin's works will be on display in the Libraries' display windows. Please visit the library and take a look at these rare and historically significant books!
Commemorating Darwin's 200th - Online Resources
Darwin Day Celebration Home Page | Shrewsbury, England's Darwin Festival | Focus Magazine's "Darwin 200" | Brian Malow talks about Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln in this TIME Magazine Video | "Something Darwin Didn't Know", from the Washington Post
Darwin's Life, Travels, and Works Online
The Complete Works of Charles Darwin Online | Voyage of the Beagle Interactive Site | Darwin Digital Library of Evolution (American Museum of Natural History) | The Darwin Correspondence Project
Selected Books at the IUP Libraries
- The Cambridge Companion to Darwin, 2003. QH31.D2 C185 2003
- Ayala, Francisco J. Darwin's Gift to Science and Religion, 2007. QH375 .A93 2007
- Browne, Janet. Darwin's Origin of Species: A Biography, 2006. QH365.O8 B76 2006
- Francis, Keith A. Charles Darwin and the Origin of Species, 2007. QH365.O8 F73 2007
- Quammen, David. The Reluctant Mr. Darwin: An Intimate Portrait of Charles Darwin and the Makin of his Theory of Evolution, 2006. QH31.D2 Q35 2006
- Ruse, Michael. Darwinism and its Discontents, 2006. QH371 .R755 2006
For feedback on this site, please contact the author: Chris Clouser
