University marks most famous failure

Published on Monday 9 February 2009 09:14

EDINBURGH University is celebrating the 200th birthday of its most famous drop-out, Charles Darwin, this week.

The university is planning a series of events, including a sold-out celebration of "Darwin's Edinburgh". An exhibition at its Talbot Rice centre will take place later this year.

Darwin arrived in Edinburgh as a 16-year-old, but failed to complete his medical studies. He instead became fascinated by natural history, and spent many days collecting specimens at the Firth of Forth. His studies of biology and geology helped shape his theories of natural selection.

Staff at Edinburgh Zoo are also running a treasure hunt and animal-handling sessions, and cutting a huge cake to mark the anniversary. One staff member will be dressed as Darwin to answer visitors' questions. There will be a "Voyage of the Beagle" trail around the Zoo.

Stephen Woollard, the zoo's education manager, said: "We are delighted to be celebrating Darwin's life and work with a variety of fun, educational events."