Charles Darwin Death Anniversary: Interesting facts you may or may not know about the ‘Father of Evolution’

Charles Darwin, one of the most influential man, is known for his remarkable contribution in the field of science and evolution. His radical Theory of Evolution published in the 1859 book On The Origin of Species and other ground-breaking studies shaped the modern life sciences.

Darwin died at Down House on 19 April 1882. His last words were to his family, telling Emma “I am not the least afraid of death – Remember what a good wife you have been to me—Tell all my children to remember how good they have been to me”, then while she rested, he repeatedly told Henrietta and Francis “It’s almost worth while to be sick to be nursed by you”.

However, the book aroused international interest and saw less controversy that his less scientific work Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation.

Darwinism went on to become a movement covering a wide range of evolutionary ideas.

His work on the theory of evolution also broke through Godwinian utopianism, a theory propounded by philosopher-novelist William Godwin. Godwinian utopianism considered co-habitation to be an evil and termed marriage as a “system of fraud.”

On his death anniversary, here are some of the lesser-known facts about the ‘Father of Evolution’:

Darwin had an appreciation for unusual food.

Exotic animals weren’t just in Darwin’s notebooks, they were also on his plates. Apparently, Darwin was a part of the Glutton Club at Cambridge University, a group dedicated to devouring strange animals that were unknown to the human palette. The menu included items such as hawks and owls.

Darwin dropped out of medical school:

Darwin may have been the master of evolutionary biology but unfortunately, Darwin couldn’t master medicine. Born to a family of physicians, he enrolled in the University of Edinburgh in 1825 at the ripe age of 16. Unfortunately, the man’s interests lay elsewhere as he hated the sight of blood as well as his studies. He dropped out two years later.

Mountain named after Charles Darwin:

On his 25th birthday, Darwin received a rather large gift, 2,488 meters or 8,163 feet, to be exact. The gift came from Captain FitzRoy of the HMS Beagle. Sitting atop the Cordillera Darwin, a mountain range located in the southwestern part of Tierra del Fuego, Mount Darwin was a gracious gift.

Darwin suffered from some mysterious illnesses:

Unfortunately, Darwin was subject to ill health. Varying from chronic stomach pains to bearing with the loss of three children, Darwin had his fair share of mental and physical agony. Despite consulting many doctors, he quietly suffered without a permanent cure.

Darwin shares his birthday with Abraham Lincoln

Dariwn shares his birthday with Abraham Lincoln. Born on the same day and year, the two had another similarity. While Lincoln is known for abolishing slavery from America, Darwin was passionately opposed to slavery as well.