On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, a groundbreaking
scientific work by British naturalist Charles Darwin, was published in
England. Darwin’s theory argued that organisms gradually evolve through
a process he called “natural selection.” In natural selection, organisms
with genetic variations that suit their environment tend to propagate more descendants than organisms of the same species that lack the variation,
thus influencing the overall genetic makeup of the species.

Darwin, who was influenced by the work of French naturalist Jean-Baptiste
de Lamarck and the English economist Thomas Mathus, acquired most of
the evidence for his theory during a five-year surveying expedition aboard
the HMS Beagle in the 1830s. Visiting such diverse places as the Galapagos
Islands and New Zealand, Darwin acquired an intimate knowledge of the
flora, fauna, and geology of many lands. This information, along with his
studies in variation and interbreeding after returning to England, proved
invaluable in the development of his theory of organic evolution.

Charles Robert Darwin (February 12, 1809 – April 19, 1882)  

TIM MAGUIRE

On this day in 1936, the first issue of the pictorial magazine Life 
was published, featuring a cover photo of the Fort Peck Dam’s
spillway by Margaret Bourke-White.

Life actually had its start earlier in the 20th century as a different
kind of magazine: a weekly humor publication, not unlike today’s
The New Yorker in its use of tart cartoons, humorous pieces and
cultural reporting. When the original Life folded during the Great
Depression, the influential American publisher Henry Luce
bought the name and re-launched the magazine as a picture-
based periodical on this day in 1936. By this time, Luce had
already enjoyed great success as the publisher of Time, a
weekly news magazine.

Henry Robinson Luce (April 3, 1898 – February 28, 1967)      
      
      

Michael John Pollard (Michael John Pollack Jr.)
(May 30, 1939 – November 21, 2019)

(Variety) – Academy Award nominee Michael J. Pollard, known
for his roles in “Bonnie and Clyde” and “House of 1000 Corpses,”
has died from cardiac arrest .

“House of 1000 Corpses” director Rob Zombie broke the news on
Facebook early Friday morning. More recently, Pollard starred in
Zombie’s 2003 cult film “House of 1000 Corpses.” His last role was
“The Woods” in 2012.

Michael J. Pollard

CBS broadcast journalist and anchorman Walter Cronkite prepares
to announce the death of John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the
United States.

   
   

John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963)

DALLAS (AP) — A rare near-mint condition copy of the first Marvel
Comics comic book has sold at auction in Dallas for $1.26 million.

Heritage Auctions says the Marvel Comics No. 1 from 1939 sold
Thursday. Heritage says the buyer wished to remain anonymous.

Ed Jaster, senior vice president at Heritage, calls it "a historic copy
of a historic comic book." The issue features the first appearances
of characters such as the Human Torch, Ka-Zar, Angel and the Sub-
Mariner.

Heritage says the comic book was first purchased at a newsstand
by a Uniontown, Pennsylvania, mail carrier who made a practice of
buying the first issue of comic books and magazines. Jaster says
that since then, the issue has only changed owners a handful of
times.