Delaware's Democratic Gov. Jack Markell has designated Feb. 12 as Charles Darwin Day in his state, to coincide with the explorer's 206th birthday,
The Huffington Post reported.
Darwin presented his theory of evolution in "On the Origin of Species," published in 1859.
The Delaware proclamation was made at the initiative of Chuck Dyke, a member of
Delaware Atheist Meetup. He put in a routine request for a special recognition through the website of the governor's office, according to
Patheos, a site devoted to faith issues.
Markell cited Darwin's discoveries as "the foundation of modern biology [and] an essential tool in understanding the development of life on earth."
He proclaimed Feb. 12 as "a time to reflect and celebrate the importance of his scientific achievements."
About 60 percent of U.S. adults say "humans and other living things have evolved over time," according to a
2013 Pew Research Center survey.
About 24 percent of those who accept evolution also believe that a supreme being played a role in the evolutionary process.
A
2014 Gallup poll, however, reported that 42 percent of Americans take literally the biblical account of creation. Sixty-seven percent of Democrats embrace Darwin's theory while just 43 percent of Republicans do.
Democratic lawmakers have over the years sought to grant Darwin similar national recognition with little success, Huffington reported.
A combination of characteristics distinguish those who accept the scientific view from those who go with the Bible's creation account. These include frequency of church attendance, level of education, and age, Gallup reported.
Universities and museums around the country will also be marking Darwin's birthday, among them the
University of Alabama at Birmingham, the
University of Tennessee, and
New York's Museum of Natural History.
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