Darwin Days 2026

Celebrating Charles Darwin

Darwin Days 2026 explores the marvelous world of mollusks, evolution education, and more!

February 10th - 14th

Darwin Day is an annual, international commemoration of the birthday and ideas of Charles Darwin, a British naturalist born February 12, 1809, and author of the seminal book On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.

The first organized Darwin Day events took place in 1995, and were organized by the Humanist Community of Palo Alto, California. The years since have seen Darwin Day celebrations around the world increasing annually at a steady rate.

In 2006, the Paleontological Research Institution and its Museum of the Earth, in collaboration with Cornell University and Ithaca College, celebrated the first official Darwin Days in Ithaca, New York, with a five-day series of panel discussions, film screenings, speakers, and workshops, aimed at increasing awareness of Darwin’s theory and its relevance today, in the Ithaca community and beyond.

Join us this year from February 10- 14 to celebrate the work of Charles Darwin and the study of evolution. In 2026, Darwin Days dives into the remarkable story of mollusk evolution, inspired by PRI’s special exhibition at the Museum of the Earth, Marvellous Mollusks: The Secret World of Shells.

From film and conversation to hands-on family fun, join us as we explore how these extraordinary animals have adapted, diversified, and thrived for hundreds of millions of years.

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