Issue date: 15 Jul, 2009
This year’s series is devoted to Charles Darwin, Claudio Moyano and Louis Braille for their contribution to science and the development of society on the 200 years of their birth.
Politician Claudio Moyano Samaniego (Boveda de Toro o Fuentelapeña, Zamora 1809-Madrid 1890) was a professor on political economics at the University of Valladolid. His career as a politician began in 1841 when he was elected constitutional mayor of Valladolid. Two years later he rose up with the militancy forces against Espartero, and his progressive and moderate ideas gradually evolved towards a more moderate position. He was appointed Minister of Public Works on three occasions: in 1853 under the presidency of general Lersundi; in 1856 with Narváez, during whose government a law was passed declaring primary education non compulsory and in 1864 in the cabinet of Arrazola. He was also rector of the Universities of Valladolid and Madrid where he implemented various reforms.
Charles Darwin (Shrewsbury 1809-Down, Kent 1882) studied in Edinburgh and Cambridge where he became acquainted with Henslow, the prestigious Botanic professor who offered him to participate as a naturist in the brig-sloop “Beagle” expedition to explore the coasts of South America and the Pacific islands. During the five year trip, he increased his studies on nature and he carried out the scientific observations that led him to publish his trip notes. In 1859 he published his masterpiece “The Origin of Species” which was translated simultaneously to other languages and lead the way to a new vision of natural history known as Darwinism. He was the author of many other works on the evolution of living species and was fought by religious and classic minded movements.
Louis Braille (Coupvray 1809 - Paris 1852) was the inventor of a system used by the blind people for reading and writing. He became blind accidentally at the age of three. At the age of 10, he entered the Royal Institution for Blind Youth in Paris, one of the first of its kind in the world where simple craftsman skills were taught. He was very talented at music and invented different codes for teaching it. However, his great invention was the Braille system for reading and writing which is universally acknowledged. Braille is read by passing the fingers over characters made up of an arrangement of one to six embossed points.
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