Charles Darwin (2/12/1809-4/19/1882)

By bkupka
  • Darwin sets sail on the HMS Beagle

    Darwin sets sail on the HMS Beagle
    Charles Darwin was offered a spot on the HMS Beagle for a voyage to South America. They traveled for five years, in which Darwin utilized to observe the world, collect data, and explore new ideas in relation to evolution. Darwin’s devotion in writing down his interests and views of the trip were monumental. Without them, there would have been no documentation. This contribution, documenting and observing the world in its natural form, encouraged other scientists to do the same.
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    Darwin reaches land and collects data.

    His trip influenced his theoretical frameworks, such as the theory of natural selection, and was the foundation for his book, Origin of Species. Because of this trip, Darwin put a lot of emphasis on the influence of naturalistic observation and empirical evidence in the scientific community. Darwin was able to observe other humans, animals, fossils, plants, and land, which led him to learn about humans and the world in natural environments.
  • Publication of Origin of Species

    As detailed in some of his previous writings, Darwin described some locations as tropical, full of coconut trees and conical hills. During his stays, Darwin was exposed to many different types of fauna and flora, with some showing key similarities. Darwin saw that different species were similar, yet had developed traits that would be beneficial to them based on their surroundings. This was the foundation of his theory of evolution, which eventually lead to the writing of Origin of Species.
  • Origin of Species video

  • Descent of Man published

    While traveling, Darwin also came in contact with people of a different skin color than his own. He had also experienced how these people lived, and saw how different their society was in comparison to his. He explained how people had descended from animals, and how their geographical location and societal structure caused different groups of people to change, both physically and socially. He tried to make his book as simple as possible, in an attempt to influence as many people as possible.