Today, is a rare day indeed. Our country and the world can celebrate the 200th anniversary of the births of two very important individuals. What are the odds of two people of such profound influence being born on the same day? Some of our better cultural creatives have been calling this ‘Lincoln Darwin Day’ for a while. But it is reaching a widespread audience today, and deservedly so. These two individuals are arguably the 19th century’s most important figures and both have influenced natural history, the topic of this blog.
Last week Newsweek battled them out in an article entitled, Who was more important Darwin or Lincoln?, Smithsonian Magazine published a fantastic story called, How Lincoln and Darwin Shaped the Modern World , and a new book Angels and Ages: A Short Book About Darwin, Lincoln, and Modern Life was recently released to celebrate this occasion. So, we are not in short supply of hype.
Here is an excerpt from the Newsweek debate article:
Lincoln and Darwin were both revolutionaries, in the sense that both men upended realities that prevailed when they were born. They seem—and sound—modern to us, because the world they left behind them is more or less the one we still live in. So, considering the joint magnitude of their contributions—and the coincidence of their conjoined birthdays—it is hard not to wonder: who was the greater man? It’s an apples-and-oranges—or Superman-vs.-Santa—comparison. But if you limit the question to influence, it bears pondering, all the more if you turn the question around and ask, what might have happened if one of these men had not been born?
Newsweeks conclusion that followed somewhat surprised me, even though I am in agreement. A personal debate of emancipation versus evolution exists here and that debate could take as long as natural selection does - or result in it. Also, I have realized that the only real similarity that these two people share is their respected legacy’s and the size of them that continues to grow. Choosing your side is a classic personality test.
Happy birthday to both of them. Here are my favorite quotes from each individual:
“A scientific man ought to have no wishes, no affections, - a mere heart of stone” - Darwin
“Laws change, people die, the land remains” - Lincoln
