As academics and scientists mark the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth on Thursday, a new poll says only 39 percent of Americans believe in evolution, a topic of contentious debate among "biblical literalists" and those against teaching creationism in public schools.

Darwin published his "On The Origin of Species" in 1859, causing controversy over its proposition that humans evolved from animals, specifically apes.

A U.S. mobile communications satellite has collided with a non-operational Russian communications relay station creating a cloud of orbiting debris, according to the U.S. space agency NASA.

One of nearly 100 satellites that support Iridium Satellite LLC's satellite telephone operation collided Tuesday with the Cosmos 2251 491 miles above northern Siberia, said Nicholas Johnson, NASA's chief scientist for orbital debris at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, according to CBS News. The cause of the collision, the first by two big objects, was unknown, according to Johnson.

The pilot who safely landed a crippled U.S. Airways jetliner on the Hudson River Thursday was hailed a hero and the incident a miracle after no one died from the mishap.

Reports quoted passengers of the plane as crediting Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III, 57, of Danville, California for saving the lives of all150 passengers and four other crew members aboard the Airbus A320 that lost power after its two engines struck and sucked birds on the air.

A set of quintuplets was born Saturday at Staten Island University Hospital according to hospital spokesman Christian Preston. The newborns which include four girls, one boy are all doing well as is the mother.

Preston declined to give the family's name, however in a report to the Staten Island Advance Tony Scherillo revealed the parents are his daughter and son-in-law, Jamie and Kevin Ferrante.

Astronauts on board the International Space Station told Mission Control in Houston, Texas that the urine recycler which the space shuttle Endeavor delivered several days ago, has passed their test Tuesday morning.

And Mission Control was just happy with the news, they "will be dancing later."