Thomas Henry Huxley was born in Ealing, then a village in Middlesex. He was the second youngest of eight children of George Huxley and Rachel Withers. His parents were members of the Church of England but he … See more

Huxley effectively resigned from the navy by refusing to return to active service, and in July 1854 he became Professor of Natural History at the See more

Huxley was originally not persuaded of "development theory", as evolution was once called. This can be seen in his savage review of Robert Chambers' Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation See more

When Huxley himself was young there were virtually no degrees in British universities in the biological sciences and few courses. Most biologists of his day either were self … See more

During his life, and especially in the last ten years after retirement, Huxley wrote on many issues relating to the humanities.
Perhaps the best known of these topics is Evolution and Ethics, which deals with the question of whether biology has anything particular to say … See more

Aged 20, Huxley was too young to apply to the Royal College of Surgeons for a licence to practise, yet he was 'deep in debt'. So, at a friend's suggestion, he applied for an appointment in the Royal Navy. He had references on character and certificates showing the time … See more

In November 1864, Huxley succeeded in launching a dining club, the X Club, composed of like-minded people working to advance the cause of science; not surprisingly, the club consisted of most of his closest friends. There were nine members, who … See more