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Birth
Charles Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England to Dr. R.W. Darwin and Susanna Darwin. -
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Studied at University of Edinburgh
At 16, Charles began studying at the University of Edinburgh. When he started his collegiate journey, he was planning to follow in his father's footsteps and intended to become a physician. He quickly learned, however, that the sight of blood actually made him sick, (A&E Networks Television, 2021) and that he loathed anatomy (Desmond, 2022), thus leading him to change his education path. -
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Studied at Christ's College in Cambridge
Moving away from becoming a physician, Charles decided to shift his focus to natural history. More specifically, Charles closely studied beetles! He graduated in 1831, at the age of 22 (A&E Networks Television, 2021) -
Recommended for a Naturalist position
After graduation, Charles's parents felt he had no direction. Fortunately, during his time in Cambridge, he gained a mentor in John Stevens Henslow. Henslow recommended him for the position as a naturalist aboard the HMS Beagle. Seeing an opportunity for growth in this position, his parents encouraged him to take the position, and offered to send him on the trip. (A&E Networks Television, 2021) -
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Journey Around the World
In December of 1831, the HMS Beagle began a five-year voyage around the world. During this time, Charles visited places like Brazil, Argentina, and the Galapagos Islands and saw creatures like Iguanas (both Land and Aquatic), Tortoises, Mockingbirds, and Finches. He wrote a 700-page journal, drafted 1,750 pages of notes, and bought back multiple preserved species samples. All of this was crucial in developing his later literary work. (Crashcourse, 2018). -
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Scientific Research
After his return, Darwin went through his observations and research and noticed several key things. He noticed groups of a species that had adapted to their environments and made biological changes and thrived and groups of the same species that had not adapted and had died off. He also noticed similarities in all species around the globe, leading him to believe in one common ancestor. This became known as "Darwin's Theory of Evolution" or, simply, "Darwinism" (A&E Networks Television, 2021). -
Introduction of the Theory of Evolution
After years of research and fine-tuning, Charles was ready to make his findings public. He drafted a letter to the Linnean Society that was ready aloud at a society meeting. In it, Charles formally introduced his Theory of Evolution. (A&E, 2021). -
"On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection"
Charles expanded on his previous explanation of his Theory of Evolution by drafting the book "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection". This book changed the course of Science forever, and is still highly sought after. (Desmond, 2018). -
Death
Charles died on April 19, 1882 at his home in Downe, England. Following his death, Mr. Darwin was buried in Westminster Abbey and continues to be considered a national hero (Desmond, 2018). -
Crash Course YouTube Video on Charles Darwin
Check out the link below for a fun crash course on Charles Darwin. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfsUz2O2jww -
References
A&E Networks Television. (2021, March 29). Charles Darwin. Biography.com. Retrieved July 21, 2022, from https://www.biography.com/scientist/charles-darwin crashcourse. (2018, October 1). Darwin and natural selection: Crash course history of science #22. YouTube. Retrieved July 21, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfsUz2O2jww Desmond, Adrian J.. "Charles Darwin". Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Jul. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Darwin. Accessed 21 July 2022.