Heroes of Science
Patricia Fara charts the rise in popularity of the history of science.
Certain British heroes seem to have organised their lives around memorable dates. Can it be coincidence that William Shakespeare was not only born on April 23rd, St. George’sDay, but died then too? Conveniently for posterity, Charles Darwin waited until he was 50 before publishing On the Origin of Species in 1859 – did he perhaps hope for the splendid double festivities of 2009? No. Commemorating the anniversaries of scientific giants began only in the 20th century, after the concept of celebration had widened from religious rituals to include secular ones. Before then, even Isaac Newton’s centenaries passed virtually unnoticed.
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