Historical query: Lincoln and Darwin


Celebration was understated here for the dual birthday of Lincoln and Darwin.  While I support greater festivities, other activities filled the calendar here in the Bathtub.*

But I do have a question:  Do we know at approximately what time Lincoln, or Darwin, was born?  I’ve been fascinated for years with the fact that Lincoln and Darwin were born on the exact same day, February 12, 1809; obviously, Darwin was born in England, and Lincoln in the U.S.  But I wonder, how far apart in time were the births?  How great a coincidence is this great coincidence?

My search for birth times hasn’t been exhaustive, but I’m coming up dry on both of them.  Can anyone lend a hand with references or the actual times?

Good heavens!  I wanted to link to the little poem, “Ode to the Thing that Keeps the Wolf from the Door” here — I cannot find it on the web!  Odd what the virtual world finds worthy in literature.

3 Responses to Historical query: Lincoln and Darwin

  1. Ray's avatar Ray says:

    Maybe the moral of the story is that if you take a boat trip, whole groups of people will hate you.

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  2. Ed Darrell's avatar Ed Darrell says:

    Ray! Good to see you here.

    Jefferson had an attorney general named Lincoln. No kidding.

    Both Lincoln’s and Darwin’s lives, and fates, were influenced greatly by boat trips they took as young men. Lincoln floated from Illinois down to New Orleans on the Mississippi, Darwin sailed around the world.

    But, just what sort of conspiracy are we trying to evidence here? ;-)

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  3. Ray's avatar Ray says:

    Did you also know that Darwin had a secretary named Lincoln and Lincoln had a secretary named Darwin?

    Possibly kidding.

    Like

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