May 26

Darwin’s place in history is undeniably secure. His Origin of Species dramatically turned the world upside down. While today his theories seem a commonplace, when he published his work the effect was truly astounding. Did Darwin’s work spring fully formed from his pen on to the written page? I think not. In the late 1700s James Burnett, Lord Monboddo, proposed the theory that humans were evolved from primates, specifically the orangutan. Monboddo also believed that humans were born with tails but that midwives removed the appendages at birth. While in his sunset years he would disavow this theory, you have to give him credit for at least thinking it all through. Lord Monboddo died on the 26th in 1799.