Timeline: Charles Darwin

Feb 12, 1809

Birth

Charles Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire
Charles was an avid reader growing up, devoting his time to exploring fields and woods to collect plants and insects.

1825

Expansion of knowledge

Darwin enrolled in medical school in 1825 at the University of Edinburgh. One of the procedures he witnessed early on was surgery on a child. The procedure unsettled Darwin because the use of anesthesia was not typical and he left his school to study theology at Cambridge University.

1831

The voyage of HMS Beagle

Darwin embarked on a five-year voyage aboard HMS Beagle. He was recommended by one of his professors Robert FitzRoy to accompany the captain as the ship's naturalist. It was during this time darwins western thinking view of the world was changed due to his exposure to remote regions and exotic species.

1831

Beginning of a Revolutionary theory

On his five-year expedition while collecting these samples and taking detailed notes he began to form his theories on species mutating to their environment.

1836

Theory of Natural Selection

The theory of natural selection is accepted by the scientific community as the best evidence-based explanation for the diversity and complexity of lifeforms.
His theory purposes that within a species the individuals with the "fittest" characteristics are more likely to survive and reproduce and pass along those genes.

1840

Darwin's pigeons

Darwin suspected that the environment might naturally manipulate species, causing them to change over time.
Darwin began experimenting with artificial selection in pigeons, by selecting pigeons with certain features he attempted to study how far a species would mutate.
He would cross-species of birds to produce different offspring, with more exaggerated features.

1860

The Challenge of new information

Darwin understood that his theory would meet stiff opposition as it would challenge the widely held religious beliefs at the time.
Darwin delayed publishing his findings while he collected more evidence and then heard of a young naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace and volunteered to have his findings sent to be published.

1871

Monkey Business

Darwin theorized that humans descended from apes.
Through scrutiny and attacks on his family history and personal reputation Darwin pushed forward. He was keen on his ideas to reach as many people as possible so he published his book On the Origin of Species.