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Birth of a Hero
Charles Darwin was born on February 12, 1809 in Shropshire, England. He was raised up under his grandfathers: the noted physician Erasmus Darwin and the wealthy ceramics designer and manufacterur Josiah Wedgwood. He was part of a very successful family and grew up to become a famous author, natural historian, geologist, and botanist. -
Education Miracle
Darwin attended a school in a town nearby Shrewsbury. Studyind medicine at the University of Edinburgh, he found that this was not the major for him, for he abhored the sight of blood. In 1827 he transfered to Christ's College at the Cambridge University, where he studied theology. This school also did not impress Darwin's love of the natural world.Following his dream, he came across a man named John Stevens Henslow, who was the Cambridge Reverend scientist. -
Adventurous Voyage
Though he did not finish his studies at Cambridge, Darwin signed on to be the unpaid naturalist on a government-sponsered voyage to South America and islands in the Pacific. He was entrusted with the task of surveying the east and west coast of South America, the journey was scheduled for two years, but ended up lasting for five. -
The Return
Darwin returned from his voyage in 1836 to be made a fellow of the London Geological Society, one of the leading scientific bodies in England. He was also accepted into other famous societies, such as the election for Athenaeum and Royal Society. 10 years after his return, Darwin published a book on natural history called the "Journey of Researches into the Geology and Natural History of the Various Countries visited by the HMS Beagle." -
Tawdry Romance
Charles Darwin married his first cousin, Emma Wedgwood, on the year 1842. The couple lived on London for a short time, but soon relocated to Kent, a country settlement. The combination of wealth occupied by the two made it possible for them to raise ten children, and also allowed Darwin to pursue his scientific studies without the aid of a job. -
Out in the Light
Darwin planned to release his theory of evolution to the public, but two years later he was compelled to abandon this work and release a more professional version after recieving a paper from Alfred Russel Wallace, another famous scientist. This showed that Wallace had the same conclusion as Darwin. -
More Published Work
In 1859 Darwin quickly published another instant success called "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, of the Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life." -
The Horrifying Truth
Although Darwin's theory was becoming respected and credible, it was attracting unwanted attention. Religious communities amongst the general public were outraged by the thought of this. Darwin's theory refuted the biblical theory of the world and it's creations. They vowed to denounce the theory as heresy and blasphemy. However, Darwin was a christian and his theory wasn't meant to disgrace the religion. -
Never Giving Up
Dispite all the hampering recognition Darwin recieved, he did not give up on his theory. He published three more books including "The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication", "The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex", and "The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals." -
Death of a Hero
Charles Darwin became very ill around this time. Some say it was the cause of psychological and emotional stress. He died on the night of April 19, 1882. The British Parliment vowed to bury him in Westminer Abbey as an honor the great scientist.
