Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Today is...the birth anniversary of Darwin and Lincoln

Today is the birth anniversaries of Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln. What historical figure do you most admire?

Charles Darwin was born on February 12, 1809 in Shropshire, England.

Charles was the grandson of Josiah Wedgwood, the creator of Josiah Wedgwood and Sons pottery.

Darwin married his first cousin, another of Wedgwood's grandchildren, Emma. Before deciding to marry her, Darwin made a pro/con list. Pros included companion in old age and better than a dog; Cons included terrible loss of time and less money for books.

Abraham Lincoln was also born on February 12, 1809. He was born in Hodgenville, Kentucky.

Prior to marrying Lincoln, Mary Todd was courted by Stephen Douglass, the Democratic nominee to the 1860 Presidential election. The election Lincoln won.

Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, an actor who was also a Confederate sympathizer.

Booth was subsequently shot by Boston Corbett, a Union Army soldier and part of the New York Cavalry Regiment that was sent to apprehend Booth. Corbett was arrested for disobeying orders to take Booth alive, though the charges were later dropped.


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