After reading my subscription mag of last week, I just found out that Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln were born in the same year, on the same day: Feb. 12, 1809.


We all know that both of them were near-mythic figures in the 19th century. As their shared bicentennial approaches, some authors are trying to compare the two.

If you were to choose one of them, who would think has had more accomplishments/impact on society today?

For me, it is clear that Darwin has made a much bigger impact on society as a whole today with his theories on natural selection and evolutionary theory. That is not to demerit Abraham Lincoln's accomplishments, it is merely an observation based on how intrinsically linked Charles Darwin is to the natural sciences, philosophy, religion, society and the way we perceive the animal kingdom and all of its intricate complexities. In fact, it has changed the way we perceive nearly everything.

Lincoln, as far as I know, has only had an impact on the US. Darwin has had impact on the whole world.

True. Although one can argue that the US that Lincoln has helped shaped has an impact on the whole world too.

micfranklin took my answer. Honest Abe had plenty of impact here, but Darwin is still causing a stir in the world and he's been dead for years.

Darwin, he had a much bigger impact and is still having one.

With no Darwin how would we know all the species of lizards on the Galapagos?

I came across this today and just had to post it.




I agree that Darwin had a bigger impact on the world than Licoln did.