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Bishop Ussher pinpoints Creation
Using biblical chronology, Archbishop James Ussher of Ireland calculates that the creation of Heaven and Earth took place in 4004 B.C. -
Spontaneous Generation
New instruments of magnification, including elegantly crafted microscopes, are fueling scientific research. The ancient question of whether life can arise from non-living matter is in the eye. -
Linnaeus's
Attempts to classify all life on Earth. He publishes the first edition of Systema Naturae while in his late twenties, and continues refining the details throughout his life. -
Comte de Bufon
Comte de Buffon proposes radical ideas. -
Natural theology
Archdeacon William Paley's Natural Theology holds that not only God's existence but also his attributes are manifest in the intricate forms of nature. -
Lamarck
French naturalist Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck proposes that living things evolve to become more complex through time. -
Cuvier
Cuvier sees catastrophes in fossil record. -
Lyell
Lyell describes immense age of Earth. -
Beagle Voyage
Beagle voyage transforms Darwin. The voyage of the HMS Beagle -- which carries Charles Darwin to tropical forests, Andean peaks, and the Galapagos Islands -- is the most important experience of his life as a scientist. -
Neanderthal
The unearthing of a fossil skull in Germany's Neander Valley fuels a debate over whether all humans are the direct descendants of Adam and Eve -
Wallace
Wallace provokes Darwin to publish. -
Origin of Species
Darwin's book explain the origin of species. -
Ape Debate
Darwin's foes protest ape-man connection. While On the Origin of Species does not address human evolution. -
Evolution Accepted
Evolution accepted. Some prominent scientists continue to reject the idea of evolution, but only a few years after On the Origin of Species is published, evolution is mainstream science. -
Descent of Man
Darwin explores The Descent of Man. Unlike in On the Origin of Species, Darwin now unabashedly takes on human evolution. -
Horse Fossils
Horse fossils reveal a story of evolution. -
Darwin´s burial
Darwin body laid to rest in peace. -
Radioactivity
Radioactivity points to an ancient Earth. The discovery of radioactivity by physicist Antoine Henri Becquerel leads to stunning calculations of Earth's age. -
Pilldown man
Both critics and proponents of evolution eagerly await the discovery of a "missing link" between humans and other primates. -
First anti-evolution bills
Six southern and border states consider anti-evolution proposal, two measures pass. -
Man-like Ape
Raymond Dart announces that a prehistoric "man-like ape" has been found in a limestone quarry at Taungs, South Africa. -
Textbooks Censored
Biology textbooks censored. Fearing loss of sales in the South and West, publishers remove references to evolution from biology textbooks. -
Anti-Evolution Bills
Anti-evolution bills spread. In the years following the Scopes trial, some 35 new anti-evolution bills are proposed in 20 states, and three states pass laws. -
Tennessee bill
Tennessee bans for teaching human evolution. -
Neo Darwinism
Neo-Darwinism adds new facts to Darwin's theory. -
Evolution Shunned
Evolution shunned in U.S. schools. With textbooks effectively censored by commercial concerns and many anti-evolutionist rulings and regulations in place, the teaching of evolution hits a low point. -
Supreme court
Supreme Court bans religion in public schools. -
Pope pios XII
In his paper on human origins, Humani gereris, Pope Pius XII considers evolution as a serious hypothesis worthy of in-depth study. -
Origins of Life
With electric currents to act as lightning and a soup of inorganic chemicals to simulate the conditions of ancient Earth. -
DNA
DNA puzzle solved. -
Human and Apes
A new view of humans and apes. Breakthroughs in genetic science allow researchers to see striking similarities in the DNA blueprints for humans and apes. -
Supreme Court on Evolution
Supreme Court strikes law against evolution. -
DNA codes
DNA codes offer new evidence of evolution. -
Textbook disclaimer
A requirement that whenever evolution is taught, students must be informed that the material is "not intended to influence or dissuade the Biblical version of creation." -
Pop John Paul II
John Paul II's papal letter proclaims there is no essential conflict between evolutionary science and the world's largest Christian faith. -
Science Standards
Twelve states shun the word "evolution," and four avoid topics in evolution completely. -
Human Genome
With the first draft of the sequence of the human genome complete, scientists see more than ever before how intimately related the human species is to other life on Earth.
