Today is the 200th anniversary of the births of Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin. You can hardly pick up a magazine or open a Web page without finding an analysis of the impacts of Darwin's work on modern society. And rightly so. But Lincoln's contribution to the prominence of American science is not as well known.
In 1863, in the depths of the Civil War, Lincoln established the National Academy of Science. The Act of Incorporation, signed by President Lincoln on March 3, 1863, established service to the nation as its dominant purpose. The act also named 50 charter members, including prominent geologists Louis Agassiz and James Hall, among others. [painting credit, NAS]
So, happy birthday Abe and Charles! And many thanks.