Remembering or Deifying? The Darwin Anniversaries of 1959 and 2009

This chapter compares and contrasts the various ways broadcasters have used anniversaries associated with Charles Darwin as a media hook. Focusing first on the Darwin Centenary in 1958–1959, the chapter explores how content reflected wider celebrations and their focus on the emergence of the modern evolutionary synthesis. The chapter demonstrates that media created for Darwin anniversaries has often reflected societal concerns of the day and argues that analysing the changing representation of evolution helps us understand how a mythic narrative that exalted Darwin as a figurehead emerged. In a final coda, the chapter uses the vast broadcast content from the 2009 Darwin anniversary as a vantage point from which to reflect on the evolutionary epic, humanist narratives in science and the other major themes introduced in the prior chapters.