August 20 spans 61 recorded events across recorded history, from 14 to 2020. Below is a curated digest of the most significant moments tied to this date.
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
The featured story and these ranked highlights form a quick summary. Every recorded event remains available in the chronology below.
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In 1858, Charles Darwin first publishes his theory of evolution through natural selection in The Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London, alongside Alfred Russel Wallace's same theory. This featured entry focuses on the immediate decision and its direct historical impact.
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Alfred Russel Wallace was an English naturalist, explorer, geographer, anthropologist, biologist and illustrator. This helps explain why the event mattered beyond the initial announcement.
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He independently conceived the theory of evolution through natural selection; his 1858 paper on the subject was published that year alongside extracts from Charles Darwin's writings on the topic. This clarifies the institutional and public response around the event.
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It spurred Darwin to set aside the "big species book" he was drafting and to quickly write an abstract of it, which was published in 1859 as On the Origin of Species. This shows how the event shaped policy and public communication in the same period.
Did you know
In 1858, Charles Darwin first publishes his theory of evolution through natural selection in The Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London, alongside Alfred Russel Wallace's same theory had consequences that extended beyond the first headline. The key context is the institutions involved, the policy shift, and how the public response evolved afterward.
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