4.3 British Honours

Darwin came fourth in the 100 Greatest Britons poll sponsored by the BBC and voted for by the public
In 2000 Darwin’s image appeared on the Bank of England ten pound notes
The Linnaean Society of London has commemorated Darwin’s achievements by the award of the Darwin-Wallace Medal since 1908
As a humorous celebration of evolution, the annual Darwin Award is bestowed on individuals who “improve our gene pool by removing themselves from it”
In 1992, Darwin was ranked #16 on Michael H. Hart’s list of the most influential figures in history.

In the Galápagos Islands, the Charles Darwin Foundation based at the Charles Darwin Research Station does research and conservation. To mark 2009 they are helping to reintroduce to Floreana Island (Charles Island) the specific mockingbird which first alerted Darwin to species being unique to islands. It was eradicated from the main island by European species, mainly rats and goats, but survived on two small islands nearby.

Numerous biographies of Darwin have been written, and the 1980 biographical novel The Origin by Irving Stone gives a closely researched fictional account of Darwin’s life from the age of 22 onwards.