Annual commemoration of Charles Darwin and science
Darwin Day
|
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Observed by
| Various groups and individuals
|
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Significance
| The day celebrates Darwin's life and work
|
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Celebrations
| Various
|
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Date
| 12 February
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Next time
| 12 February 2025
(
2025-02-12
)
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Frequency
| annual
|
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Darwin Day
is a
celebration
to
commemorate
the
birthday
of
Charles Darwin
on 12 February 1809. The day is used to highlight Darwin's contributions to
science
and to promote science in general. Darwin Day is celebrated around the world.
[1]
History
[
edit
]
The celebration of Darwin's work and tributes to his life have been organised sporadically since his death on 19 April 1882, at age 73. Events took place at
Down House
, in
Downe
on the southern outskirts of London where Darwin and members of his family lived from 1842 until the death of his wife,
Emma Darwin
, in 1896.
[2]
In 1909, more than 400 scientists and dignitaries from 167 countries met in
Cambridge
to honour Darwin's contributions and to discuss vigorously the recent discoveries and related theories contesting for acceptance. This was a widely reported event of public interest.
[3]
[4]
Also in 1909, on 12 February, the 100th birth anniversary of Darwin and the 50th anniversary of the publication of
On The Origin of Species
were celebrated by the
New York Academy of Sciences
at the
American Museum of Natural History
. A bronze bust of Darwin was unveiled.
[5]
On 2 June 1909 the
Royal Society of New Zealand
held a "Darwin Celebration". "There was a very large attendance."
[6]
On 24?28 November 1959, The
University of Chicago
held a major celebration of Darwin and the publication of
On the Origin of Species
,
[7]
the largest event of the
Darwin Centennial Celebration
. Scientists and academics sometimes celebrated 12 February with "
Phylum
Feast" events?a meal with foods from as many different phyla as they could manage, at least as early as 1972, 1974, and 1989 in Canada.
[8]
In the United States,
Salem State College
in Massachusetts has held a "Darwin Festival"
[9]
annually since 1980,
[10]
and in 2005, registered "Darwin Festival" as a service mark with the US Patent and Trademark Office.
[11]
The Humanist Community
[12]
of
Palo Alto
, California, was motivated by Dr. Robert Stephens in late 1993 to begin planning for an annual Darwin Day celebration. Its first public Darwin Day event was a lecture by Dr.
Donald Johanson
(discoverer of the early hominid "Lucy"), sponsored by the Stanford Humanists student group
[13]
and the Humanist Community on 22 April 1995.
[14]
The Humanist Community continues its annual celebration.
[15]
Independently, in 1997, Professor
Massimo Pigliucci
initiated an annual Darwin Day event at the
University of Tennessee
.
[16]
The event included public lectures and activities as well as a teachers' workshop meant to help elementary and secondary school teachers better understand evolution and how to communicate it to their students, as well as how to deal with the pressures often placed on them by the
creationism
movement.
[
citation needed
]
2009
[
edit
]
2009 was the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth and it also marked the 150th anniversary of the publication of Darwin's
On the Origin of Species
. Events were planned, with the most prominent celebrations in
Shrewsbury
, the
University of Cambridge
and at the
Natural History Museum
in London.
[
citation needed
]
Darwin's
alma mater
,
Christ's College, Cambridge
, commemorated the bicentenary with the unveiling of a life-sized bronze statue of the
Young Darwin
, sculpted by their graduate
Anthony Smith
. Prince Philip (then-Chancellor of the University) unveiled the statue and it was later shortlisted for the Marsh Award for Excellence in Public Sculpture 2009.
[17]
The same year, two well known evolutionary biologists,
Richard Dawkins
and
Jerry Coyne
, published book length treatments covering the
evidence for evolution
.
[
citation needed
]
The
Perth Mint
, Australia launched a 2009 dated commemorative 1-ounce silver legal tender coin depicting Darwin, young and old; HMS
Beagle
; and Darwin's signature.
[18]
The bicentenary was also celebrated by the release of a Darwin biopic,
Creation
, directed by
Jon Amiel
and starring
Paul Bettany
and
Jennifer Connelly
.
Later
[
edit
]
On 9 February 2011,
California Representative
Pete Stark
introduced H. Res 81 to Congress designating 12 February 2011 as Darwin Day, calling Darwin "a worthy symbol of scientific advancement... and around which to build a global celebration of science and humanity."
[19]
The resolution was a culmination of collaboration between Stark and the American Humanist Association, which had awarded Stark the Humanist of the Year award in 2008. In a statement on the House floor, Rep. Stark said, "Darwin's birthday is a good time for us to reflect on the important role of science in our society." In a press release from the American Humanist Association, executive director Roy Speckhardt said, "Stark's Darwin Day resolution is a thrilling step forward for the secular movement. Not only is this an opportunity to bring the scientific impact of Charles Darwin to the forefront, but this also signifies the potential for greater respect for scientific reasoning on Capitol Hill."
[20]
On 22 January 2013,
New Jersey Representative
Rush D. Holt, Jr.
, a
Quaker Christian
and
nuclear physicist
, introduced a
resolution
to the
United States Congress
designating 12 February 2013 (Charles Darwin's 204th birthday) as "Darwin Day" to recognise "the importance of sciences in the betterment of humanity".
[21]
In 2015, Delaware's governor
Jack Markell
declared 12 February "Charles Darwin Day", making Delaware the first state in America to formally mark the occasion.
[22]
[23]
House Resolution 67, introduced by Representative
Jim Himes
in the United States House of Representatives on 2 February 2015 would designate 12 February as Darwin Day in the United States.
[24]
It would recognise Darwin as "a worthy symbol on which to focus...a global celebration of science and humanity."
[24]
Darwin Day Program and Darwin Day Celebration
[
edit
]
In the late 1990s, two Darwin enthusiasts, Amanda Chesworth and Robert Stephens, co-founded an unofficial effort to promote Darwin Day. In 2001, Chesworth moved to New Mexico and incorporated the "Darwin Day Program".
[25]
Stephens became chairman of the board and President of this nonprofit corporation with
Massimo Pigliucci
as Vice-President and Amanda Chesworth as member of the Board, Secretary, and Executive Director.
Stephens presented the objectives of the organisation in an article titled "Darwin Day An International Celebration."
[26]
In 2002, Chesworth compiled and edited a substantial book entitled
Darwin Day Collection One: the Single Best Idea, Ever
.
[27]
The objectives of the book were to show the multidisciplinary reach of Charles Darwin and to meld academic work with popular culture.
[
citation needed
]
In 2004, the New Mexico corporation was dissolved and all its assets assigned to the "Darwin Day Celebration", a
non-profit organisation
incorporated in California in 2004
[28]
by Dr. Robert Stephens and others
[29]
and the Mission Statement was expanded.
[30]
Darwin Day Celebration redesigned the website, from a static presentation of information about the Darwin Day Program to a combination of education about Darwin and the Darwin Day Celebration organisation, including automated registration and publication of planned and past celebratory Events and the automated registration of people who want to receive emailings or make public declaration of support for Darwin Day. The website is now operated by the International Darwin Day Foundation, an autonomous program of the
American Humanist Association
.
[
citation needed
]
Darwin Day is also celebrated by the
University of Georgia
. The event is co-sponsored by the
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
, Division of Biological Sciences,
Odum School of Ecology
and the departments of cellular biology, plant biology, and genetics.
[31]
Mark Farmer, a professor and division chair of biological sciences and organiser of Darwin Day at UGA. Farmer said he got the idea from the International Darwin Day Foundation and brought the event to UGA in 2009 in time for the 150th anniversary of the publication of "Origin of Species" and the 200th anniversary of Darwin's birth. The University celebrates the impact that Darwin's work had on the scientific community through a series of lectures around campus.
[32]
The Ethical Humanist Society of Long Island celebrates with programs that appeal to children and adults both.
[33]
The
Clergy Letter Project
encourages evolution-affirming churches to participate in Evolution Weekend, on the Sunday closest to this date, to learn about and discuss evolution.
[34]
[35]
Darwin Day and Darwin week is also celebrated at Southern Illinois University,
[36]
and has been celebrated annually since 2006 when it commenced with a talk by
Tim Berra
.
[37]
Events
[
edit
]
Various events are conducted on Darwin Day around the world.
[1]
They have included dinner parties with special recipes for
primordial soup
and other inventive dishes, protests with
school boards
and other governmental bodies, workshops and symposia, distribution of information by people in ape costumes, lectures and debates, essay and art competitions, concerts, poetry readings, plays, artwork, comedy routines, re-enactments of the
Scopes Trial
and of the debate between
Thomas H. Huxley
and Bishop
Samuel Wilberforce
, library displays, museum exhibits, travel and educational tours, recreations of the journey of
HMS
Beagle
, church sermons, movie nights, outreach, and nature hikes. The Darwin Day Celebration Web site offers free registration and display
[38]
of all Darwin Day events.
Some celebrants also combine Darwin Day with a celebration of
Abraham Lincoln
, who was also born on 12 February 1809. Still others celebrate the many noted individuals that influenced or were influenced by Darwin's work, such as
Thomas H. Huxley
,
Charles Lyell
,
Alfred Russel Wallace
,
Carl Sagan
, and
Ernst Mayr
.
[
citation needed
]
Supporters
[
edit
]
Support for Darwin Day comes from both secular and religious organisations. Many Christians who support the concept of
evolutionary creation
, such as the
Biologos Foundation
and GC Science, celebrate Darwin Day, believing that evolution was a tool used by God in the creation process.
[21]
[39]
Some free-thought organisations that support Darwin Day include
Council for Secular Humanism
, The
Freedom from Religion Foundation
,
[40]
the
Humanist Association of Canada
[41]
the
Center for Inquiry
[42]
and the
American Humanist Association
[43]
in the United States, as well as the
British Humanist Association
[44]
in the UK, have helped to spread awareness about Darwin Day. In 1999, the
Campus Freethought Alliance
[45]
and the Alliance for Secular Humanist Societies
[46]
began promoting Darwin Day among members.
Humanist
and
sceptic groups
welcomed the event and an increase in celebrations on or around 12 February spread across the US and in several other countries. The organizers behind this effort included the
International Humanist and Ethical Union
,
[47]
Massimo Pigliucci
, Amanda Chesworth, and Joann Mooney.
D. J. Grothe
continues to champion this effort among groups associated with the
Center for Inquiry
. The Center's branches across the world also organise Darwin Day events.
Free Inquiry
magazine, the flagship publication of the
Council for Secular Humanism
, and
Skeptical Inquirer
,
the flagship publication of the
Committee for Skeptical Inquiry
, advertised the event and attracted further individuals and groups. The
Secular Student Alliance
,
[48]
and other organisations committed to
reason
and
rationality
also participate in the annual celebration.
With Robert Stephens, a scientist, as its President, Darwin Day Celebration has received support from scientists and science enthusiasts across the globe. Educators began to participate by offering special lessons to their students on or around 12 February. Darwin Day Celebration has joined COPUS, the Coalition on the Public Understanding of Science,
[49]
reflecting an increased emphasis on science education and appreciation.
[
citation needed
]
Public relations emails to major publications led to coverage by media such as
The Guardian
in the UK,
Scientific American
,
New Scientist
, the
Discovery Channel
. In 2006 Darwin Day was covered by major news syndicates such as
Associated Press
,
Knight-Ridder
, and
The New York Times
. Over 150 articles appeared in major newspapers across the world and helped to attract more participants.
[50]
Scientific organisations such as the
National Center for Science Education
,
[51]
and the
Linnaean Society
, have endorsed the holiday. Scientists, philosophers, historians, and physicians lent their names in support of the effort, including
Daniel Dennett
,
Steven Pinker
,
Eugenie Scott
,
Steven Jones
,
Elliott Sober
, Sir
John Maddox
,
Helena Cronin
,
William Calvin
,
John Rennie
,
Paul Kurtz
,
Carl Zimmer
,
Edward O. Wilson
,
Michael Shermer
,
Susan Blackmore
,
Michael Ruse
,
Richard Leakey
,
Niles Eldridge
, and
Colin Tudge
. Musicians and entertainers such as Richard Miller and
Stephen Baird
also participated.
[
citation needed
]
In 2004,
Michael Zimmerman
, a professor of biology and dean of the
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
at
Butler University
, founded the
Clergy Letter Project
[52]
in which over 11,100 clergy, as of 18 April 2008, have signed a declaration that a person of faith does not have to choose either belief in God or belief in evolution. In 2006 Zimmerman developed the
Evolution Sunday
movement. In 2007 lectures and sermons were presented to roughly 618 congregations across the United States and five other countries, on Darwin's birthday.
[53]
Evolution Sunday is intended to show that faith and evolutionary science are compatible in many religious traditions. In 2008, Evolution Sunday was expanded to an Evolution Weekend to incorporate a wider range of faith traditions and 814 congregations from nine countries participated.
[
citation needed
]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
"Darwin Day Celebration to Offer Evolution Education"
.
The Knoxville News-Sentinel
. 7 February 2015
. Retrieved
7 May
2015
.
- ^
"Darwin Online: Emma Darwin's diaries (1824?1896)"
.
darwin-online.org.uk
. Retrieved
12 February
2019
.
- ^
van Wyhe, John
.
"1909: The first Darwin centenary"
.
The Complete Works of Charles Darwin Online
. Archived from
the original
on 11 June 2011
. Retrieved
7 June
2011
.
- ^
Richmond, M. L. (2006). "The 1909 Darwin Celebration".
Isis
.
97
(3): 447?484.
doi
:
10.1086/508076
.
PMID
17059108
.
S2CID
24783737
.
- ^
"The Darwin Celebration"
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. Retrieved
17 September
2007
.
- ^
"
Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand 1868?1961
"
. 1909
. Retrieved
17 September
2007
.
- ^
"Guide to the Darwin Centennial Celebration Records"
. 1959. Archived from
the original
on 25 January 2008
. Retrieved
17 September
2007
.
- ^
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.
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. Archived from
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. Retrieved
2 August
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.
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. Retrieved
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.
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. Retrieved
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.
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. Retrieved
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.
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, retrieved
31 August
2007
- ^
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, 17 September 2007
, retrieved
17 September
2007
- ^
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, 22 April 1995, archived from
the original
on 27 September 2007
, retrieved
27 July
2007
- ^
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, 10 July 2007
, retrieved
17 September
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- ^
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, archived from
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8 August
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- ^
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.
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. Archived from
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. Retrieved
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.
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.
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. Archived from
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on 7 February 2019
. Retrieved
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.
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Stark, Fortney Pete (10 February 2011).
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.
United States Congress
. Retrieved
5 February
2019
.
- ^
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(Press release). American Humanist Association. 10 February 2011
. Retrieved
5 February
2019
.
- ^
a
b
Oppenheimer, Mark (1 February 2013).
"Seeing Darwin Through Christian Eyes? It All Depends on the Christian"
.
The New York Times
. Retrieved
2 February
2013
.
- ^
"
'Charles Darwin Day' in Delaware Boosts Atheists' Hopes of Federal Recognition"
.
Fox Nation
. Archived from
the original
on 17 June 2017
. Retrieved
11 January
2019
.
- ^
"Upcoming Events ? February 12, 2015 Proclaimed as 'Charles Darwin Day' By Delaware Governor Jack Markell ? Darwin Day"
.
darwinday.org
.
- ^
a
b
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.
National Center for Science Education
. 3 February 2015
. Retrieved
7 May
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.
- ^
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, 12 July 2001
, retrieved
10 August
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[
permanent dead link
]
- ^
Stephens, Robert (15 December 2001),
Darwin Day An International Celebration
, archived from
the original
on 21 January 2008
, retrieved
19 September
2007
- ^
Chesworth, Amanda; Hill, Sharon; Lipovsky, Kevin; Snyder, Eric; Chesworth, Ward (2002),
Darwin Day Collection One: the single best idea, ever
, Albuquerque, New Mexico: Tangled Bank Press,
ISBN
0-9723844-0-5
- ^
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, 14 June 2004, archived from
the original
on 7 August 2007
, retrieved
10 August
2007
- ^
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, 27 April 2007, archived from
the original
on 15 October 2007
, retrieved
19 September
2007
- ^
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, 27 April 2007, archived from
the original
on 15 October 2007
, retrieved
19 September
2007
- ^
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. UGA's Darwin Day
. Retrieved
12 February
2013
.
- ^
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. The Red & Black. 12 February 2013
. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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.
- ^
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.
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. Indianapolis, Indiana: Ovation Agency
. Retrieved
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.
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other
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.
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.
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. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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.
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. Retrieved
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.
- ^
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.
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. Retrieved
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.
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. Retrieved
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.
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. The Christian Post
. Retrieved
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.
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- ^
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- ^
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- ^
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, retrieved
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- ^
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, retrieved
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2007
- ^
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the original
on 28 September 2007
, retrieved
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2007
- ^
Building Darwin Day Bridges
, 4 December 2003, archived from
the original
on 21 January 2008
, retrieved
24 August
2007
- ^
Celebrate Darwin Day!
, 1 February 2004, archived from
the original
on 17 October 2007
, retrieved
24 August
2007
- ^
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on 28 September 2007
, retrieved
29 August
2007
- ^
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- ^
File of selected news coverage
, 15 March 2006, archived from
the original
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, retrieved
23 August
2007
- ^
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, 6 December 2006
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Zimmerman, Michael (17 June 2007).
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. Archived from
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.
- ^
Zimmerman, Michael (3 August 2007).
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. Archived from
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. Retrieved
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2007
.
External links
[
edit
]
Events commemorating achievements in the sciences
|
---|
Anniversary celebrations
| |
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Regular holidays
| |
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Year long events
| |
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