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Early Life & Education
Charles Darwin was born on February 12th, 1809 in England. Charles’ mother died when he was eight, and he was raised by his older sisters. He had an interest in biology and chemistry, which was not then accepted in schools. His interest in chemistry earned him the nickname “gas” by his peers. Later, his father taught him about psychology, and sent him to school to study medicine when he was just sixteen years old. -
Voyage on the Beagle
Darwin earned his bachelor’s degree in 1831. He then took a boat voyage on the Beagle and busied himself with zoology books while circumnavigating the globe. He spent about a year and a half on the ship and began finding fossils while on land. He found fossils of rhinoceroses, armadillos, and other larger species that had faced extinction. These fossil findings intrigued Darwin; he started to wonder what it was that had made these species become extinct. -
Theory of Evolution & Origin of Species
Darwin began to put together his theory of evolution in 1832. This theory answered his question as to why some species faced extinction. It stated that surviving species survived because they experience a phenomenon called “natural selection”. He suggested that natural selection was when species evolved or changed to meet the changing requirements of their habitats. Those species who could not adapt stopped reproducing and died. His theory of evolution was coined “Darwinism” later. -
Social Darwinism & Darwin's Death
Towards the end of the 1800s, the theory of Social Darwinism was born. It combined the theory of evolution to a variety of social and economic experiences. Darwin’s thoughts on this were not really known. Charles Darwin died at his home in London on April 19th, 1882 at the age of 73. He is buried at Westminster Abbey. Here is a video about Natural Selection. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfsUz2O2jww
