Rosalind Franklin, Watson & Crick Plaques at The Eagle Pub in Cambridge, England

Watson and Crick plaque

Franklin plaque

There are few things I can think of that are better than a cozy English pub. Except maybe a cozy English pub that was the site of a momentous scientific achievement. The pub, The Eagle, Cambridge, honors its part in history with one plaque dedicated to two if its regulars, Watson and Crick, who uncovered the double helix structure of DNA. There’s also a second plaque, which recognizes the crucial part Rosalind Franklin played in Watson and Crick’s discovery. Thanks to Jim for sending this our way! Jim writes:

Here are the pictures of the two plaques at The Eagle pub in
Cambridge, England. Watson and Crick were regulars there and it’s
where they announced their discovery of the structure of DNA. The
Wikipedia article on The Eagle mentions the plaques, which are in the
middle room of the bar. The lighting wasn’t great, but the Franklin
plaque is easy to read.

From Wikipedia:

When the university’s Cavendish Laboratory was still at its old site at nearby Free School Lane, the pub was a popular lunch destination for staff working there. Thus, it became the place where Francis Crick interrupted patrons’ lunchtime on 28 February 1953 to announce that he and James Watson had “discovered the secret of life” after they had come up with their proposal for the structure of DNA.The anecdote is related in Watson’s book The Double Helix, and is commemorated on a blue plaque next to the entrance, and two plaques in the middle room by the table where Crick and Watson lunched regularly. Today the pub serves a special ale to commemorate the discovery, dubbed “Eagle’s DNA”.


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1 Comment

  1. OMG, I’m famous 🙂 So glad you enjoyed my pictures.

    The Eagle bar is well worth a visit should you find yourself in Cambridge. In one of the other rooms, called the RAF bar, the walls and ceiling are covered in the graffiti of WW II pilots. And the food and drink were good.

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