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Charles Robert Darwin (2/12/1809 - 4/19/1882)
Charles Darwin was born on February 12, 1809, in Shrewsbury, England.
Darwin's mother died when he was 8 years old and his father, the hugely portly Robert Waring Darwin (1766-1848), was a successful physician and investor and son of the famous poet, Erasmus Darwin.
At 16, Darwin enrolled at Edinburgh University and later became a student at Christ's College in Cambridge. His father suggested he study to become a parson, but Darwin saw this as having the freedom to study natural history. -
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Charles Robert Darwin (2/12/1809 - 4/19/1882)
Charles Darwin was born on February 12, 1809, in Shrewsbury, England. His mother died when he was 8 years old and his father, Dr. R.W. Darwin, was a medical doctor, and his grandfather, Dr. Erasmus Darwin, was a renowned botanist. At 16, Darwin enrolled at Edinburgh University and 2 years later, became a student at Christ's College in Cambridge. His father suggested he study to become a parson since blood made him queasy, but Darwin saw this as giving him the freedom to study natural history. -
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Charles Robert Darwin (2/12/1809 - 4/19/1882)
After graduating with a Bachelor's in 1831, Henslow (Darwin's mentor) recommended him for a naturalist’s position aboard the HMS Beagle, which was to take a five-year survey trip around the world. Over the course of the trip, Darwin collected a variety of natural specimens, including birds, plants and fossils.
He returned in 1836, and began to write up his findings. He began to develop a revolutionary theory about the origin of living beings which was contrary to the popular view of the time. -
Charles Robert Darwin (2/12/1809 - 4/19/1882)
On November 24, 1859, he published a detailed explanation of his theory, "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection".
Darwin’s theory of evolution declared that species survived through "natural selection," where those that successfully adapted, or evolved, to meet the changing requirements of their natural habitat thrived, while those that failed to evolve and reproduce died off. At the time, naturalists believed that life was already created or was created over time in nature. -
Charles Robert Darwin (2/12/1809 - 4/19/1882)
Following a lifetime of devout research, Charles Darwin died at his family home, Down House, in London, on April 19, 1882. He was buried at Westminster Abbey.
More than a century later, Yale ornithologist Richard Brum sought to revive Darwin's lesser-known theory on sexual selection in The Evolution of Beauty. After his death, Darwin's private papers were mostly preserved and many of these were later deposited in Cambridge University Library.
