The Natural Resources Library recently celebrated the life and discoveries of Charles Darwin, in recognition of Darwin Day on February 12, which coincides with Charles Darwin’s birthday and is celebrated across the globe each year.

Darwin Day dates back to 1909 and the 100th anniversary of Darwin’s birth, when scholars gathered in Cambridge to commemorate Darwin’s life. This year marked the 208th anniversary of Darwin’s birth.

Complete with cupcakes and activities, Darwin’s birthday party drew over 200 people into the Natural Resources Library. Darwin himself even made an appearance: A full color, life-size cutout of Darwin was there for people to pose with and take pictures.

Students and faculty had fun using photos of Darwin, Galapagos finches, and other natural history imagery to create their own buttons using the library’s button making machine. The event was a great success in bringing students and faculty together in the library to commemorate Darwin and his contributions to science.