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Bishop Ussher
He calculated the creation of heaven and earth was in the year 4004 B.C. -
Spontaneous Generation
The start of new instruments for magnification which fueled scientific research. -
Linnaeus
He created the Systema Naturae which divided kingdoms, classes, orders, genera and species. -
Comte de Buffon
He speculated that living creatures evolve according to natural law, he also suggested that humans and apes are related. -
Natural Theology
This viewed god through nature, it described that such perfect organs must have been designed by an intelligent designer. -
Lamarck
He proposed that living things evolve to become more complex through time. He also claimed that "vital forces" help creatures adapt to their environments. -
Cuvier
He argued that a series of catastrophies wiped out certain species and organisms in the past. -
Lyell
He argued that slow-moving, gradual processes explain Earth's geology. He became Charles Darwin's mentor. -
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Beagle Voyage
Charles Darwin began his voyage to spend his life in the clergy but at the end of his trip he committed his life to science. He returned with fossils from South America and creatures of the Galapagos Islands. -
Neanderthal
The unearthing of a fossil skull that looked slightly human in Germany created a debate wether humans are direct descendants of Adam and Eve. -
Wallace
He wrote to Darwin seeking his help with a theory of how species might evolve, finding these realizations Darwin was provoked to publish his theory of Natural Selection. -
Origin of Species
Darwin published a wealth of evidence and a coherent theory for evolution. -
Ape Debate
Critics attacked Darwin with the theory of evolution that was proposed in "The Origin Of Species" since humans supposedly evolved too. Advocates of scientific progress exchanged a confrontation of this topic. -
Evolution Accepted
Evolution becomes mainstream science and magazines and newspapers begin to promote evolution -
Descent of Man
Darwin takes on human evolution. He stressed the importance of sexual selection in the evolution of life. -
Horse Fossils
Thomas Huxley created a history of evolution with ancient horse fossils. -
Darwin's Burial
Darwin was buried in England near the grave of Sir Isaac Newton. -
Radioactivity
The discovery of radioactivity leads to stunning calculations for Earth's age. Rock-dating techniques estimated that Earth was about 4.3 million years old. -
Piltdown Man
A fossil skull that was discovered is said to be the missing link in between humans and other primates. -
First Anti-Evolution Bill
William Jennings started to consider the proposal of anti-evolution bills. Two measures were passed. -
Tennessee Law
The Tennessee legislature prohibited schools from teaching evolution. -
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Anti-Evolution Bills
Anti-evolution bills were porposed in 20 states and laws were passed. A restriction to teaching evoluton was established. -
Man-Like Ape
A prehistoric man-like ape was found in South Africa with fossils that indicated that this clever ape killed a baboon. -
Textbooks
Biolog books remove references to evolution from Biology books from fears of loosing sales -
Neo-Darwinism
Scientists begin to understand that genetic mutations can cause changs in an organism's traits. -
Evoluton Shunned
The teaching of evolution hits a low point. -
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Supreme Court
Religion is banned from the government. -
Pope Pius XII
Evolution is considered a serous hypothesis worthy of further studies and accepted by the Pope. -
Origins of Life
A graduate produces amino acids which indicated that life on Earth could start with a natura process. -
DNA
The discovery of DNA and how genes work with it. -
Humans and Apes
DNA of apes and humans is compared and various similarities are found. -
Supreme Court on Evolution
Teachers launch a case in favor of evolution and the supreme court eventually approves the teaching of evolution. -
DNA Codes
DNA offers new evidence of evolution. -
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Textbook Disclaimers
Schools must inform students that evolution is not intended to influence the beliefs of the biblical version of the creation before teaching evolution -
Pope John Paul II
He endulged the theory of evolution with compliments and accepted it. -
Science Standards
A study showed that 19 states were teaching evolution poorly, twelve states shunned the word evolution and four avoid the subject of evolution completely. -
Human Genome
Scientists see how intimately humans are related to other life on earth.
