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Birth
Darwin was born on February twelfth in 1809. His birth-town was Shrewsbury in the United Kingdom. He was one of five children to the parents of Robert and Susan Darwin. Darwin's four older siblings were named Marianne, Caroline, Susan and a brother named Erasmus. The Darwin family was quite large and has a history of great achievements. (Karp 12) -
Mexico gains independance
February 24th 1821, was when Mexico officially gained independence from Spain. The Mexican War of Independence lasted eleven years until Mexico finally gained the independence it wanted. Spanish Viceroy Juan de O’Donojú signed the Treaty of Córdoba creating Mexico an independent constitutional monarchy. This event was an important achievement because it freed Mexico from Spain and let them become independent. (onthisday.com "Historical Events in 1821") -
Letters
Darwin was well known for his mass amount of letters exchanged between many people of many occupations. He began writing these letters in 1825 as a student at the University of Edinburgh. Little did he know, he would exchange around 7,000 letters in his lifetime. These letters helped spread the word of Darwin's theory and supporting evidence (Darwinproject.ac.uk Charles Darwin’s letters: a selection 1825-1859) -
Educaction
Darwin went to many different colleges, originally studying medicine at Edinburgh University. After getting bored with medicine, he went on to study Theology at Cambridge. He continued his education and got his bachelors degree in 183. Without the education that Darwin received, he wouldn't of been so successful and his theories wouldn't of been so well-known. (Coyne 40) -
HMS Beagle
After being recommended to be a naturalist on the HMS Beagle, the ship took sail in 1831 with Darwin on board. The ship spent most of its time sailing on the coast of South America. Darwin collected and recorded large amounts of evidence which he was able to use to prove to other scientists that his theory was correct. Darwin's voyage was so important because it supplied him with all the evidence he needed to back up this theories. (Lock 22-23) -
Darwin's Diary
Darwin's diary from his voyage on the HMS Beagle was published in 1839. Darwin recorded all of his observations and his life day to day every day while at sea. He began writing his journal while waiting in Devonport for around two months for the Beagle to set sail. Darwin would send portions of his diary to his sisters back in England. Overall, Darwin's diary had helped many scientists advance in their research. (Aboutdarwin.com How Darwin Organized his Data) -
The Origin of Species
Darwin published his first book called "The Origin of Species". The Origin was a basic summary of his theory on natural selection. It was used to persuade objective scientists to support him and his theories. His book was so successful, that around 104,000 copies were sold. The Origin was such a successful achievement because it gave other scientist a look into Darwin's point of view. (Lock 37) -
First British Golf Open
On October 17th in 1860 was when the first British golf open began. Willie Park was the first champion of the Open, he was from Scotland and the final score was 174. The most recent winner was Henrik Stenson from Sweden. These championships still continue to take place today and will continue for years to come. (onthisday.com "Events in Sport in 1860") -
US Civil War
The US Civil war was known as the "Bloodiest four years in american history." The north fought the south over the topic of slavery. In 1861 was when fire was open and the US Civil War began. (History.com "The Civil War Begins") -
Copley Medal
In November of 1864, Darwin was awarded the highest scientific honor called "Copley Medal of the Royal Society of London." He was awarded this at the anniversary meeting on November 30th. His research in geology, zoology and botanical physiology was what made him receive the award. (Docs.google.com Award Winners : Copley Medal) -
Slavery in the U.S
In 1865, the thirteenth amendment officially abolishes slavery in the U.S. The amendment stated, "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction." It was passed by congress on January 31st and was ratified by the states on December 6th. (Loc.gov 13th Amendment to the US Constitution) -
The Descent of Man
"The Descent of Man" was one of the many books that Darwin published that applied his thinking of natural selection. The book stated his theories about how humans shared a common ancestor with apes. While studying evolution, Darwin was able to take his discoveries and connect the common characteristics of humans and apes. He took all of his discovers about this topic and created this book, which was published in 1871. Like his other books, it convinced scientists to support him. (Lock 17) -
The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals
Like "The Descent of Man", "The expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals" focused on the topic of linking similarities between man and animals. This book was so important because it made scientists interested in the behavior of animals. The way emotion was expressed between animals and humans was compared and contrasted by many of his discoveries in this book. It was published in 1872. (Lock 17) -
Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell invented the first telephone in 1876. He was a Scottish-born American scientist who was born in 1847. Alexanders main goal was to create a machine that would transmit sound by electricity. Throughout many years of research and trial and error, he was able to achieve his goal. This was an important event because without his invention, we most likely wouldn't the have advanced telephones/cell phones we have today. (history.com "Alexander Graham Bell") -
The Power of Movement in Plants
The books published by Darwin in the previous years mainly focused on linking characteristics between man and animals, but "The Power of Movement in Plants" focused on plants and plants only. This book explained the evolution of plants that he observed. He noticed that plants were able to evolve in their ability to grow straight up and get more sunlight. This book was published in 1880 and it gave scientists an overall idea on how plants evolve. (Lock 17) -
Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Boston Symphony was created on October 22nd in 1881. It is currently in its 135th season. The founder of the orchestra is Henry Lee Higginson who was a former Civil War veteran and an amateur musician. The Boston Symphony Orchestra still continues to preform and entertain people today. (bso.org Boston Symphony Orchestra) -
Death
After living to be 73 years old, Darwin passed away on April 19th in 1882. He recently had been suffering from stomach problems, but the main cause of his death was congestive heart failure. Darwin was buried in Westminster Abbey in London. (Coyne 40)
