Thomas Henry Huxley (1825-1895), an English zoologist and paleontologist, became known as “Darwin’s bulldog” for his forceful exposition of evolutionary theory and vociferous attacks on Darwin’s critics. His lectures took on the mission of bringing Darwin’s ideas to the British public, explaining evolutionary theory to the working classes and discussing its religious implications. He coined the term “agnostic” to describe his position of reasoned doubt.  He is here caricatured in Vanity Fair (London, January 28, 1871) by the Victorian cartoonist known as “Ape.”

NLM is hosting an exhibition on Darwin as well as a film series and symposium to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the great naturalist’s birth.