Timeline: Charles Darwin W-3 Timeline - Scott Kripner

Feb 12, 1809

The Birth of Charles Robert Darwin

Charles Robert Darwin was born on February 12, 1809 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England (Desmond). Charles was the fifth child of six to Robert Darwin and Sussannah Wedgewood (Famous Scientists).

Period: 1825 to 1831

College Years

Darwin started his college life at the age of 16 as a medical student, attending the University of Edenburgh (Famous Scientist). He did not enjoy medical school and after just 2 years, his father removed him from Edenburgh (Famous Scientists). From there, he attended Cambridge where he graduated with a Bachelors of Arts degree (Famous Scientists).

Period: 1831 to 1836

World Travel onboard the HMS Beagle

Darwin had embarked on a 5 year expedition around the world (Desmond). During this time, they visited the Cape Verde Islands, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, the Falkland Islands, Chile, Peru, the Galapagos Islands, Tahiti, New Zealand, and finally Australia before returning home to England (Desmond). This journey resulted in 770 diary pages, 1,750 pages of notes, 12 catalogs filled with 5,436 skins, bones and carcasses (Desmond).

1834

The beginning of the term "Natural Selection"

England passed a law called the "Malthusian Poor Law" which separated men and women to stop them from breeding (Desmond). Darwin realized that the population boom would lead to a struggle for resources and with less resources, it would result in a survival of the fittest scenario (Desmond). He then applied this new idea to nature, initially thinking that animal populations "Remained stable in the wild" (Desmond). Darwin called this animal version of Malthusian Law, "Natural Selection" (Desmond).

1858

"On the Origin of Species" by Chalres Darwin, and Alfred Russel Wallace?

Charles Darwin had received a letter in the mail from Wallace in June of 1858 with his own hypothesis of evolution, asking Darwin if he could review it (Desmond). After the decade of work Darwin had already put in, fearing he would be overshadowed by Wallace's publication, they agreed to a joint Darwin/ Wallace theory (Desmond).
Quick Overview leading up to the writing of "On the Origin of Species"

Period: 1859 to 1881

Working until the End

Darwin didn't stop with his book "On the Origin of Species," but continued writing and updating his work until the very end (Desmond). This resulted in 3 reviews and 6 editions of the "On the Origin of Species," as well as books on cross-pollination, sexual choice and trait expression, zoology, and many other works (Desmond). Finally, finishing his life's work with his autobiography in 1881 (Desmond).