The month in history

• On 1 July 1858, a paper by the scientist Charles Darwin was presented to the Linnean Society of London on his groundbreaking theory of evolution by natural selection. The paper formed the basis of his book published the following year, On the Origin of Species, which is considered the foundation of modern evolutionary biology. Today you can visit Down House, Charles Darwin's family home for 40 years. 
• The Roman Emperor Hadrian died on 10 July 138 CE. He oversaw the building of a 70-mile wall marking the north-west frontier of the Roman Empire. Several forts and settlements partially survive on, or near, Hadrian’s Wall, including Housesteads Roman Fort and Corbridge Roman Town.
• Emmeline Pankhurst was born on 15 July 1858. Emmeline led the militant campaign for women’s right to vote in the early 20th century, better known as the ‘suffragette’ movement. A bill giving women equal voting rights to men eventually passed through Parliament in 1928, just weeks before Emmeline’s death that November.
• Rosalind Franklin was born on 25 July 1920. She is now acknowledged to have pioneered the study of molecular structures. Most notably, her research into DNA molecules helped Watson and Crick identify the structure of DNA in 1953. Her former London home in Chelsea is now marked by a blue plaque.