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Charles Darwin is born
Darwin was born into a rather wealthy family in Shrewsbury, England ("Charles Darwin"). Both his father and grandfather were well known and respected physicians. His mother was the daughter of the wealthy owner of a pottery factory (Berger). The world actually gained two great men on this date, for Abraham Lincoln was also born on this date (Asimov). -
Mexico declares independence
The war was incited by Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a local priest of Queretaro. Hidalgo was already notorious for several reasons, including gambling, before rallying a rebel army to drive out the Spaniards. He failed, as did some later leaders of the revolution, who were all executed. Guerilla bands would continue the fighting from ther (Grun). -
U.S. begins Erie Canal
The Erie Canal was built to connect the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. The city of Troy on the Hudsen River was to be connected to Rome (NY) and reach Buffalo on Lake Erie.Rejected by the president, James Monroe, the state government of New York created the canal on its own. Although the canal cost 7 million dollars to build, the cost of shipping was reduced dramatically (Grun). -
Darwin is sent to boarding school
Darwin's father sent him to a boarding school at the age of 9. He was unintrested in any of the classes offered at the school. Caring very little about his schoolwork, the young Darwin preffered to experiment with chemistry in the tool shed. This did not please his father at all, so Robert Darwin decided on a new course for his son's education (Berger). -
Darwin attends Cambridge University
Robert Darwin had decided that, seeing as Charles did not have a good future as a doctor, his son was to be a clergyman.Darwin, of course, again paid little attention in class and proceded to explore the outdoors whenever he could. Much of his time was spent collecting beetles. Despite his lack of attention, Darwin graduated in 1831 (Berger). -
Catholic Emancipation Act
Parliament in England had been pushing toward this act for some time before the act. Under the current laws Daniel O'Connell, elected as a representitive from Ireland, could not take his place because he was Roman Catholic. Him and the Duke of Wellington got the act through both houses of Parliament and the King, which involved the Duke of Wellington threatening to resign from Prime Minister for the latter. The act allowed Roman Catholics to hold almost any place in the goverment (Grun). -
Great Cholera Pandemic
This date is the first official case of cholera in Europe. A man named William Sproat, 60 years old, dies 3 days after his diagnosis. Many people are still unwilling to acept that cholera is in Europe. But as the disease spreads and the death toll rises, even the merchants angry at the quarrentine must accept the fact that cholera running wild. Cholera kills 32,000 people in Britain and millions worldwide. -
HMS Beagle starts its voyage
The five-year journey of the Beagle began as it sailed for South America. Darwin wandered the coast gathering fossils and specimins for much of the voyage. His famous visit to the Galapagos was made and he discovered the tortises and finches unique to the specific island. Upon reaching Austrailia, Darwin studied the kangaroos, wombats, and other unusual animals. The things he learned on his trip led him to conclude that species change (Asimov; Berger). -
First negative photograph is taken
Negative photography first started with Henry Fox Talbot. He took a photograph of his window, calling it "Lacock Abbey, Wiltshire". The important part is not the picture, but rather the negative photography process used. By this process, multiple prints could be made from a single negative without having to retake the picture repetitively (Grun). -
Darwin starts putting his theory together
Darwin decided to compile his ideas on natural selection and formulate his theory of transmutation. His lists became conclusions that form the basics of evolution. First, that nature puts checks like predators and disease on organisms. Then, how organisms change when the offspring inherit the variations that are benificial because those parents live longer (Berger). -
S.S. Great Britain leaves port
The S.S. Great Britain was incredibly advanced for its time. An iron steam-propelled ship, she was the first propeller ship to cross the Atlantic. Huge crowds watched her leave from Bristol docks in England for the 14-day trip across the ocean (Grun). -
Darwin begins writing "The Origen of Species"
After much urging, Darwin finally began to write his book. Being a procrastinator, he worked very slowly on the book-to-be. Halfway through, Alfred Russel Wallace sent him an essay with the same conclusions as Darwin had.They took their work to the Linnean Society, which gave Darwin the right to the discovery. The book was going well, but Darwin could not explain how organisms passed down traits. Despite its flaw, his thoery was well underway (Asimov; Berger). -
"The Origin of Species" is published
Darwin's massive bookwas published under the equally massive title: "The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection or the Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life". He compiled within it all of his ideas on evolution (or "transmutation", as he called it). Man was a topic he would go into further later, but based on his theories, it can be concluded that man "is not a fallen angel, but a risen savage", simply adapted better that all other creatures (Thomas 144). -
Debate between Darwinism and the Catholic Church
Naturally, an enormousdebate occurred after the publishing of "The Origin of Species". Darwin, who was sick, could not go, so Thomas Huxley went in his place. Bishop Wilberforce gave his argument, then insulted Huxley, asking on which side the ape ancestry was. Huxley gave a strong defense of Darwin's theories, then, in the words of Melvin Berger, stated that "he would prefer to be decended from an ape than a man like Bishop Wilberforce!" (Berger 111-112). -
"Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication"
Darwin published many books after "The Origin of Species". The purpose of this book was to provide new evidence and quiet critics like George Douglas Campbell. Campbell was not fond of Darwin's "blind, accidental process of variation". Darwin countered the critics with evidence provided by selective breeding in domesticated plants and animals, focusing especially on breeders of fancy pigeons. He stressed on how the desired offspring had the traits of the parents ("Charles Darwin"). -
Charles Darwin dies
Darwin died of a heart attack at the age of 73. After his death, it was decided that he would be buried in Westminster Abbey, a great honor (Berger). He died not knowing that the gap in his theory had been filled by another scientist, Mendel (Asimov).