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Beginnings
Charles Darwin is born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire into a wealthy family of influence ("Biography of Charles Darwin"). -
Early School
Between 1818 and 1825, Darwin studied at the Anglican Shrewsbury School where he hated the strict and traditional methods used for teaching. During this time, science was looked down upon, as a result he received criticism from faculty and fellow students for his interest and practice in chemistry ("Charles Darwin British Naturalist"). -
Edinburgh University
In 1825, Darwin's father sent him to study medicine at Edinburgh University fearing that he was wasting his time. There, Darwin was introduced to the radical thinking of some fellow classmates and he also saw some of the consequences. While his knowledge and mind open to new thought, he refused to learn more on medicine ("Charles Darwin British Naturalist"). -
Cambridge
His father, thinking Darwin's education going nowhere, switched him to Chirst's College, Cambridge in 1828. This is where he acquired his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1831 ("Charles Darwin British Naturalist"). -
Voyage of HMS Beagle-Setting Sail
Hearing of a voyage to map the southern tip of South America, Darwin jumped at the chance to be the companion to the captain who was fearful of loneliness along the journey. In total, the voyage totaled five years of which, Darwin only spent a total of eighteen months onboard. While on this voyage, Darwin collected and shipped home many fossils and specimens. ("Charles Darwin British Naturalist"). -
Mountains
As Darwin started suspecting the land rose and fell, his experiences soon confirmed it. On the 15th of January, 1835 he saw the eruption of Mount Osorno. Then, on February 20th, he felt an earthquake in Valdivia, Chile and saw the aftermath of the tidal wave and destruction it laid to a city. What stood out to him the most was the local mussel bed now high above the sea. He began thinking on how long it must take to raise the earth to create mountains ("Charles Darwin British Naturalist"). -
Voyage's End
Along his journey, Darwin formed a theory on coral reef growth. The coral grew along sinking mountain tops and continued to build to stay within optimal temperatures and light. The voyage came to an end in October 1836 with a 770 page journal, 1,750 pages of notes, catalogs of 5,435 skins, bones, and carcasses ("Charles Darwin British Naturalist"). -
Evolution
Upon studying the bird specimens from the Galapagos Islands, John Gould found that what was thought as a mixture of birds were all ground finches only differently adapted. Darwin examined further to find that each island had its representative bird as well. He arrived at the thought of evolution during this time. This was looked down on by the clerics of Cambridge so he kept his thoughts in journals fearing the worst from society with examples from history ("Charles Darwin British Naturalist"). -
On the Origin of Species
In the 1850s, a change in societies thinking made it safer for Darwin's theories. He perfected his natural selection theory with many artificial selection tests and studies. He published his book "On the Origin of Species" on the 24th of November, 1859. Darwin stayed out of debates on the topic and let his friend Huxley take them on ("Charles Darwin British Naturalist"). -
Endings
Throughout the years, Darwin continued experimenting and revamping his "Origin: through six editions and published more books on plants and their 'natural selections'. Darwin died of a heart attack on April 19, 1882 in Downe, UK ("Charles Darwin British Naturalist"). -
Charles Darwin Biography: Evolution and Religion
Watch this short video for a look into Charles Darwin's life leading to his scientific findings! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VFxefR23EY -
Picture Reference
Alamy. “Charles Darwin”. The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group Limited 2019, 18Mar2019, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/12012817/First-picture-of-young-Charles-Darwin-on-HMS-Beagle-reveals-shipmate-squabbles.html -
Picture Reference
O’Malley, Heathcliff. “A full size replica of "Darwin's cabin" aboard the HMS Beagle”. The Telegraph, Telegraph Media Group Limited 2019, 18Mar2019, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/12012817/First-picture-of-young-Charles-Darwin-on-HMS-Beagle-reveals-shipmate-squabbles.html -
Picture Reference
White, Pete. “Shropshire, Shrewsbury, The Square”. Love Shrewsbury.com, The Web Orchard, 10/08/2012, https://www.loveshrewsbury.com/article/market-square-history-lesson -
Website References
Pettinger, Tejvan. “Biography of Charles Darwin”, Biography Online, 4th Sept. 2012. https://www.biographyonline.net/scientists/charles-darwin.html. Updated 21st February 2018 Desmond, Adrian. “Charles Darwin British Naturalist”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 08Mar2019, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Darwin#ref225881
