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Birth of Charles Darwin
Born at The Mount, Shrewsbury, child number five to Robert Waring Darwin and Susannah Wedgwood. -
Death of mother, beginning of education
Darwin's mother dies, leaving his sister to take on her responsiblities as a mother to him. He also starts his first year at Utalitarian day school. -
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Shrewsbury
Attends as a boarder at Shrewsbury School calling it "narrow and classical" to which he is unhappy. -
Removal from Shrewsbury
After being forced out of the school for being classified as "unsuccessful," he spends his summer accompanying his father on his rounds as a physician and is then sent with his brother to Edinburg University to study medicine as his father did. -
Plinian Society
Darwin joins the Plinian Society, a club at Edinburg University founded in 1823 for those interested in natural history. It's here he encountered radical philosophical materialism for the first time and meets his most influential mentor, Robert Grant. -
Abhorrition of Medicine
Darwin leaves university without a degree because of his distaste for medicine and queasiness at the sight of blood. -
Cambridge
Darwin, following urgings from his father so as not to become "idle", enters Christ's College, Cambridge. -
BA Exam
Takes his BA exam and is ranked 10th out of 178. -
the Beagle
Darwin embarks sail on the Beagled. He accepted a seat as a naturalist aboard the ship, which embarked on a five-year survey journey around the world. A once in a lifetime experience for an aspiring naturalist and the jumpstart to everything. -
Galapagos
During his five-year expedition, Darwin's time in the Galapagos Islands would prove crucial to his studies. This area had a profound impact on his understanding of natural history and became a focal point for his ideas on evolution. -
Lyell
Darwin first meets geologist, Lyell. -
Relocation
Darwin moves from Cambridge to 36, Great Marlborough Street, London. -
Election
Darwin is elected to the Athenaeum. -
Election Three
He is then elected then to the Council of the Royal Geographical Society. -
Election Two
Then is elected to the Royal Society. -
Marriage
Darwin marries his first cousin, Emma Wedgwood. -
Publication
The Beagle journal is published as Journals and Remarks, volume three of Darwin's Narrative of the Voyage. -
Birth of First Child
The couple's first child, William Erasmus is born. -
Publication
Structure and distribution of Coral Reefs is published. -
First sketch
Darwin produces a 35 page draft of evolutionary theory. -
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Author
Volcanic Islands is written. -
Manuscript Completion
Darwin finishes a 231 page manuscript. -
Last of Beagle voyages
Darwin finishes his last book describing the Beagle voyages: Geological Observations on South America. -
Publications
After the death of his eldest daughter, the first of two books on stalked barnacles by Darwin is published. This changes the entire subclass of fossil and living organisms Cirripedia. -
Royal Medal Award
The Royal Society award Darwin their Royal Medal for his work on barnacles. -
1854
Darwin is elected to the Royal Society's Philosophical Club, and to the Linnean Society. -
Experiments
Experiments are conducted that prove that seeds, plants and animals could reach oceanic islands, where they might produce new species in geographic isolation. -
Theory of Origins
After a weekend party with a group of fellow naturalists where they discussed the ideas of species origins, Darwin begins writing for publication, supported by Lyell, who had previously feared that others might publish the same work before him. -
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Moving forward
Extracts from Darwin's work and a paper by Wallace who had a similar idea and work, are presented at the Linnean Society. Later published as "On the tendency of species to form varieties" in the Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society (Zoology) Darwin writes a book, stripped of academic references and aimed at the reading public, called On the Origin of Species. -
Awarded again
Darwin is awarded the Copley medal of the Royal Society (after being nominated three years running). Origin of Species was omitted from the award. -
Darwinism
Darwinism begins to dominate the views of the British Association. -
Furhter publications
Publication of The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication. -
First Use of Term "Evolution"
The Descent of Man is published, the Origin is extensively re-written to answer arguments. This final edition uses the word 'evolution' for the first time. -
Completion of Evolutionary Writings
Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals completes a cycle of evolutionary writins. -
Doctor of Law
Cambridge bestows Darwin with an honorary doctorate of law. -
Death
Following a heart attack and seizures on Christmas Day, Darwin dies and is burried at Westminster Abbey.