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Birth
Charles Robert Darwin was born on the 12th of February, 1809, in Shrewsbury, England (The Natural History Museum of London, 2023). -
Education
Darwin first began attending school in Shrewsbury, which he detested as education was "narrow and classical", all while being scolded for his interest in the sciences over the arts - even by the headmaster (Britannica, 2023). -
Ejection
Darwin is ejected from schooling and instead accompanies his father, a medical doctor, for a time for private education. Afterward, he was sent to Edinburgh University to study medicine. -
Departure
Due to his aversion to medicine, Darwin departs Edinburgh University without receiving a degree. He applies to enter Christ's College, Cambridge, the following year in 1828 in January. -
Graduation
Completing his bachelor's degree, Darwin departs on the fateful voyage of the HMS Beagle; a "man-of-war" warship of the Royal Navy which had been decommissioned for warfare by this time for its survey of South America. -
Return
Darwin returns after five years abroad, helping to affirm the theories of Charles Lyell, a fellow naturalist and geologist which propose geological processes are ongoing and continuous across the past and present. However, Darwin begins to work on his most famous contribution of science, largely because of his inability to explain various fossils, landforms, and wildlife he witnessed and or collected (Desmond & Moore, 1991). -
Theory
Using his collection, Darwin joined with a fellow naturalists and began crafting his theory of evolution. However, it would take 20 years until he would begin formally writing it, spurred on by conversation with Alfred Russel Wallace, an associate who independently came to similar conclusions which they discussed for submission in 1858 (Beddall, 1968). -
Evolution (Continued)
On the Origin of Species laid out the fundamental framework of Darwin's hypothesis and theory. It focused on the aforementioned "descent with modification" concept, but also addressed the "tree of life" and the way in which species would branch from one another with adaptations which were useful to them, which would later become evolutions if selected for by environmental pressure. -
Evolution
The joint submission of Darwin and Wallace established "descent with modification" as the fundamental basis of all life and its diversity. This work would become the famous On the Origin of Species. He modified his theory some in 1871 and 1872, focusing on human origins then. -
Death
Following health complications during the Christmas of 1881, Darwin was committed to Down House until his time of death in the following year on the 19th of April, 1882 (University of Cambridge, 2023). -
Media
The following is a CrashCourse video hosted by Hank Green giving an overview of Charles R. Darwin and his life, as well as his theory. Darwin and Natural Selection: Crash Course History of Science #22