The name derives from the medieval use of the word philosophy to denote any research undertaken outside the fields of law, theology and medicine.

The Society has provided an open forum and played a key role in raising the profile of the sciences to the public.

The first two recipients were Honorary Fellows Hendrik A Lorentz and Pieter Zeeman in 1902 for the Nobel Prize in Physics.

The Society's first women winner was Honorary Fellow Marie Curie in 1903 for the Nobel Prize in Physics.

The plaque was unveiled by Sir Martin Rees at opening of the Society’s exhibition at Cambridge University Library.

During the voyage, Darwin corresponded by letter with Henslow after reaching South America, and collected specimens with him in mind, particularly plants.

Extracts from ten of Darwin's letters from South America to Henslow were first read out at a meeting of the Cambridge Philosophical Society on 16 November 1835, around the time that the ship reached Tahiti.

Upon learning of this pamphlet, Darwin was "a good deal horrified" at Henslow making public "what had been written without care or accuracy".

[14] In 1960 it was reprinted privately to mark the 100th anniversary of the publication of the "Origin of Species" on 26 November 1859 and issued to Members and Associates of the Society.