Best example of survival of the fittest

Two hundred years ago, in a wealthy household in rural England, a child was born who, in a quiet, dogged and utterly peaceful way, was destined to become one of the greatest revolutionaries who lived.

Armed just with a pen, Charles Darwin re-forged our concept of nature and humanity's place in it, ignited a social debate that blazes to this day and shook the foundations of religions.

He bequeathed a theoretical legacy - the principle of evolution by natural selection and the origins of Man - that has not only survived assault by Creationists and critics but also remains a pillar of modern science.