best biography of darwin

• History & Society
• Science & Tech
• Biographies
• Animals & Nature
• Geography & Travel
• Arts & Culture
• Games & Quizzes
• On This Day
• One Good Fact
• New Articles
• Lifestyles & Social Issues
• Philosophy & Religion
• Politics, Law & Government
• World History
• Health & Medicine
• Browse Biographies
• Birds, Reptiles & Other Vertebrates
• Bugs, Mollusks & Other Invertebrates
• Environment
• Fossils & Geologic Time
• Entertainment & Pop Culture
• Sports & Recreation
• Visual Arts
• Demystified
• Image Galleries
• Infographics
• Top Questions
• Britannica Kids
• Saving Earth
• Space Next 50
• Student Center
• Introduction & Top Questions

Early life and education

• The Beagle voyage
• Evolution by natural selection: the London years, 1836–42
• The squire naturalist in Downe
• On the Origin of Species
• The patriarch in his home laboratory
• The private man and the public debate

What is Charles Darwin famous for?

What is evolution, as charles darwin understood it, what was charles darwin’s educational background, what was charles darwin’s family life like, what were the social impacts of charles darwin’s work.

Charles Darwin

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

• Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Darwinism
• National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Charles Darwin and the Origin of Life
• The Victorian Web - Charles Darwin
• Biology LibreTexts - Charles Darwin
• Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Charles Darwin
• Academia - Charles Darwin
• Palomar College - Natural Selection
• Australian Dictionary of Biography - Biography of Charles Robert Darwin
• Charles Darwin - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
• Charles Darwin - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
• Table Of Contents

Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection is the foundation upon which modern evolutionary theory is built. The theory was outlined in Darwin’s seminal work On the Origin of Species , published in 1859. Although Victorian England (and the rest of the world) was slow to embrace natural selection as the mechanism that drives evolution, the concept of evolution itself gained widespread traction by the end of Darwin’s life.

Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution had three main components: that variation occurred randomly among members of a species; that an individual’s traits could be inherited by its progeny; and that the struggle for existence would allow only those with favorable traits to survive. Although many of his ideas have been borne out by modern science, Darwin didn’t get everything right: traces of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck ’s outdated theory of evolution remained in Darwin’s own. He was also unable to correctly establish how traits were inherited, which wasn’t clarified until the rediscovery of Gregor Mendel ’s work with peas.

Growing up, Charles Darwin was always attracted to the sciences. In 1825 his father sent him to the University of Edinburgh to study medicine. There he was exposed to many of the dissenting ideas of the time, including those of Robert Edmond Grant, a former student of the French evolutionist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck . He transferred to Christ’s College, Cambridge, in 1828, where his mentors mostly endorsed the idea of providential design. A botany professor suggested he join a voyage on the HMS Beagle —a trip that would provide him with much of his evidence for the theory of evolution by natural selection .

Charles Darwin was born in England to a well-to-do family in 1809. His father was a doctor, and his mother—who died when he was only eight years old—was the daughter of a successful 18th-century industrialist. Darwin was not the first of his family to gravitate toward naturalism: his father’s father, Erasmus Darwin , was a physician, inventor, and poet who had developed his own theories on the evolution of species. Darwin later married his first cousin on his mother’s side, Emma Wedgwood. Together they had 10 children, 3 of whom died at a young age.

Charles Darwin’s theories hugely impacted scientific thought. But his ideas also affected the realms of politics, economics, and literature. More insidious were the ways that Darwin’s ideas were used to support theories such as social Darwinism and eugenics , which used biological determinism to advocate for the elimination of people deemed socially unfit. Although Darwin himself was an abolitionist, the social Darwinist ideas inspired by his work contributed to some of the most racist and classist social programs of the last 150 years.

Charles Darwin (born February 12, 1809, Shrewsbury, Shropshire , England—died April 19, 1882, Downe, Kent) was an English naturalist whose scientific theory of evolution by natural selection became the foundation of modern evolutionary studies. An affable country gentleman, Darwin at first shocked religious Victorian society by suggesting that animals and humans shared a common ancestry. However, his nonreligious biology appealed to the rising class of professional scientists, and by the time of his death evolutionary imagery had spread through all of science , literature, and politics. Darwin, himself an agnostic , was accorded the ultimate British accolade of burial in Westminster Abbey , London.

Darwin formulated his bold theory in private in 1837–39, after returning from a voyage around the world aboard HMS Beagle , but it was not until two decades later that he finally gave it full public expression in On the Origin of Species (1859), a book that has deeply influenced modern Western society and thought.

Darwin was the second son of society doctor Robert Waring Darwin and of Susannah Wedgwood, daughter of the Unitarian pottery industrialist Josiah Wedgwood . Darwin’s other grandfather, Erasmus Darwin , a freethinking physician and poet fashionable before the French Revolution , was author of Zoonomia; or the Laws of Organic Life (1794–96). Darwin’s mother died when he was eight, and he was cared for by his three elder sisters. The boy stood in awe of his overbearing father, whose astute medical observations taught him much about human psychology. But he hated the rote learning of Classics at the traditional Anglican Shrewsbury School, where he studied between 1818 and 1825. Science was then considered dehumanizing in English public schools, and for dabbling in chemistry Darwin was condemned by his headmaster (and nicknamed “Gas” by his schoolmates).

His father, considering the 16-year-old a wastrel interested only in game shooting, sent him to study medicine at Edinburgh University in 1825. Later in life, Darwin gave the impression that he had learned little during his two years at Edinburgh . In fact, it was a formative experience. There was no better science education in a British university. He was taught to understand the chemistry of cooling rocks on the primitive Earth and how to classify plants by the modern “natural system.” At the Edinburgh Museum he was taught to stuff birds by John Edmonstone, a freed South American slave , and to identify the rock strata and colonial flora and fauna.

More crucially, the university’s radical students exposed the teenager to the latest Continental sciences. Edinburgh attracted English Dissenters who were barred from graduating at the Anglican universities of Oxford and Cambridge , and at student societies Darwin heard freethinkers deny the Divine design of human facial anatomy and argue that animals shared all the human mental faculties. One talk, on the mind as the product of a material brain , was officially censored, for such materialism was considered subversive in the conservative decades after the French Revolution. Darwin was witnessing the social penalties of holding deviant views. As he collected sea slugs and sea pens on nearby shores, he was accompanied by Robert Edmond Grant, a radical evolutionist and disciple of the French biologist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck . An expert on sponges , Grant became Darwin’s mentor, teaching him about the growth and relationships of primitive marine invertebrates , which Grant believed held the key to unlocking the mysteries surrounding the origin of more-complex creatures. Darwin, encouraged to tackle the larger questions of life through a study of invertebrate zoology , made his own observations on the larval sea mat ( Flustra ) and announced his findings at the student societies.

The young Darwin learned much in Edinburgh’s rich intellectual environment , but not medicine: he loathed anatomy , and (pre- chloroform ) surgery sickened him. His freethinking father, shrewdly realizing that the church was a better calling for an aimless naturalist, switched him to Christ’s College, Cambridge, in 1828. In a complete change of environment, Darwin was now educated as an Anglican gentleman. He took his horse , indulged his drinking, shooting, and beetle-collecting passions with other squires’ sons, and managed 10th place in the Bachelor of Arts degree in 1831. Here he was shown the conservative side of botany by a young professor, the Reverend John Stevens Henslow , while that doyen of Providential design in the animal world, the Reverend Adam Sedgwick , took Darwin to Wales in 1831 on a geologic field trip.

Fired by Alexander von Humboldt ’s account of the South American jungles in his Personal Narrative of Travels , Darwin jumped at Henslow’s suggestion of a voyage to Tierra del Fuego , at the southern tip of South America , aboard a rebuilt brig , HMS Beagle . Darwin would not sail as a lowly surgeon-naturalist but as a self-financed gentleman companion to the 26-year-old captain, Robert Fitzroy , an aristocrat who feared the loneliness of command. Fitzroy’s was to be an imperial-evangelical voyage: he planned to survey coastal Patagonia to facilitate British trade and return three “savages” previously brought to England from Tierra del Fuego and Christianized. Darwin equipped himself with weapons, books (Fitzroy gave him the first volume of Principles of Geology , by Charles Lyell ), and advice on preserving carcasses from London Zoo ’s experts. The Beagle sailed from England on December 27, 1831.

Charles Darwin

(1809-1882)

Who Was Charles Darwin?

Charles Robert Darwin was a British naturalist and biologist known for his theory of evolution and his understanding of the process of natural selection. In 1831, he embarked on a five-year voyage around the world on the HMS Beagle , during which time his studies of various plants and an led him to formulate his theories. In 1859, he published his landmark book, On the Origin of Species .

Darwin was born on February 12, 1809, in the tiny merchant town of Shrewsbury, England. A child of wealth and privilege who loved to explore nature, Darwin was the second youngest of six kids.

Darwin came from a long line of scientists: His father, Dr. R.W. Darwin, was a medical doctor, and his grandfather, Dr. Erasmus Darwin, was a renowned botanist. Darwin’s mother, Susanna, died when he was only eight years old.

In October 1825, at age 16, Darwin enrolled at University of Edinburgh along with his brother Erasmus. Two years later, he became a student at Christ's College in Cambridge .

His father hoped he would follow in his footsteps and become a medical doctor, but the sight of blood made Darwin queasy. His father suggested he study to become a parson instead, but Darwin was far more inclined to study natural history.

While Darwin was at Christ's College, botany professor John Stevens Henslow became his mentor. After Darwin graduated Christ's College with a bachelor of arts degree in 1831, Henslow recommended him for a naturalist’s position aboard the HMS Beagle .

The ship, commanded by Captain Robert FitzRoy, was to take a five-year survey trip around the world. The voyage would prove the opportunity of a lifetime for the budding young naturalist.

On December 27, 1831, the HMS Beagle launched its voyage around the world with Darwin aboard. Over the course of the trip, Darwin collected a variety of natural specimens, including birds, plants and fossils.

DOWNLOAD BIOGRAPHY'S CHARLES DARWIN FACT CARD

Darwin in the Galapagos

Through hands-on research and experimentation, he had the unique opportunity to closely observe principles of botany, geology and zoology. The Pacific Islands and Galapagos Archipelago were of particular interest to Darwin, as was South America.

Upon his return to England in 1836, Darwin began to write up his findings in the Journal of Researches , published as part of Captain FitzRoy's larger narrative and later edited into the Zoology of the Voyage of the Beagle .

The trip had a monumental effect on Darwin’s view of natural history. He began to develop a revolutionary theory about the origin of living beings that ran contrary to the popular view of other naturalists at the time.

Theory of Evolution

Darwin’s theory of evolution declared that species survived through a process called "natural selection," where those that successfully adapted or evolved to meet the changing requirements of their natural habitat thrived and reproduced, while those species that failed to evolve and reproduce died off.

Through his observations and studies of birds, plants and fossils, Darwin noticed similarities among species all over the globe, along with variations based on specific locations, leading him to believe that the species we know today had gradually evolved from common ancestors.

Darwin’s theory of evolution and the process of natural selection later became known simply as “Darwinism.”

At the time, other naturalists believed that all species either came into being at the start of the world or were created over the course of natural history. In either case, they believed species remained much the same throughout time.

'Origin of Species'

In 1858, after years of scientific investigation, Darwin publicly introduced his revolutionary theory of evolution in a letter read at a meeting of the Linnean Society . On November 24, 1859, he published a detailed explanation of his theory in his best-known work, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection.

In the next century, DNA studies provided scientific evidence for Darwin’s theory of evolution. However, controversy surrounding its conflict with Creationism — the religious view that all of nature was born of God — is still found among some people today.

Social Darwinism

Social Darwinism is a collection of ideas that emerged in the late 1800s that adopted Darwin’s theory of evolution to explain social and economic issues.

Darwin himself rarely commented on any connections between his theories and human society. But while attempting to explain his ideas to the public, Darwin borrowed widely understood concepts, such as “survival of the fittest” from sociologist Herbert Spencer.

Over time, as the Industrial Revolution and laissez faire capitalism swept across the world, social Darwinism has been used as a justification for imperialism, labor abuses, poverty, racism, eugenics and social inequality.

Following a lifetime of devout research, Charles Darwin died at his family home, Down House, in London, on April 19, 1882. He was buried at Westminster Abbey .

More than a century later, Yale ornithologist Richard Brum sought to revive Darwin's lesser-known theory on sexual selection in The Evolution of Beauty .

While Darwin's original attempts to cite female aesthetic mating choices as a driving force of evolution was criticized, Brum delivered an effective argument via his expertise in birds, earning selection to The New York Times ' list of 10 best books of 2017.

QUICK FACTS

• Name: Charles Darwin
• Birth Year: 1809
• Birth date: February 12, 1809
• Birth City: Shrewsbury
• Birth Country: England
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Charles Darwin was a British naturalist who developed a theory of evolution based on natural selection. His views and “social Darwinism” remain controversial.
• Science and Medicine
• Astrological Sign: Aquarius
• University of Edinburgh
• Interesting Facts
• Although Charles Darwin originally went to college to be a physician, he changed career paths when he realized that he couldn't stomach the sight of blood.
• Charles Darwin had a mountain named after him, Mount Darwin, in Tierra del Fuego for his 25th birthday. The monumental gift was given by Captain FitzRoy.
• Death Year: 1882
• Death date: April 19, 1882
• Death City: Downe
• Death Country: England

We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us !

CITATION INFORMATION

• Article Title: Charles Darwin Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/scientists/charles-darwin
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: March 29, 2021
• Original Published Date: April 3, 2014
• A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.
• [How great the] difference between savage and civilized man is—it is greater than between a wild and [a] domesticated animal.
• If all men were dead, then monkeys make men. Men make angels.
• I am a complete millionaire in odd and curious little facts.
• Multiply, vary, let the strongest live and the weakest die.
• For the shield may be as important for victory, as the sword or spear.
• I see no good reason why the views given in this volume should shock the religious feelings of anyone."[In 'Origin of the Species']
• A grain in the balance may determine which individuals shall live and which shall die—which variety or species shall increase in number, and which shall decrease, or finally become extinct.
• If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down. But I can find out no such case.
• The extinction of species and of whole groups of species, which has played so conspicuous a part in the history of the organic world, almost inevitably follows from the principle of natural selection.
• There is grandeur in this view of life...from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved.

Famous British People

Alan Cumming

Olivia Colman

Richard III

20 Shakespeare Quotes

William Shakespeare

Andy Murray

Stephen Hawking

Gordon Ramsay

Kiefer Sutherland

Accept cookies?

We use cook ies  to give you the best online experience and to show personalised content and marketing. We use them to improve our website and content as well as to tailor our digital advertising on third-party platforms. You can change your preferences at any time.  

Popular search terms:

• British wildlife
• Wildlife Photographer of the Year
• Explore the Museum

Anthropocene

British Wildlife

• Collections

Human evolution

What on Earth?

Unveiling a statue of Charles Darwin at the Museum, 1885.

During Beta testing articles may only be saved for seven days.

Create a list of articles to read later. You will be able to access your list from any article in Discover.

You don't have any saved articles.

Charles Darwin: History’s most famous biologist

Charles Robert Darwin (1809-1882) transformed the way we understand the natural world with ideas that, in his day, were nothing short of revolutionary.

He and his fellow pioneers in the field of biology gave us insight into the fantastic diversity of life on Earth and its origins, including our own as a species.

Photograph of Charles Robert Darwin taken at his home, Down House, in 1881.

Charles Darwin is celebrated as one of the greatest British scientists who ever lived, but in his time his radical theories brought him into conflict with members of the Church of England.

Young Charles Darwin

Born in 1809 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, Darwin was fascinated by the natural world from a young age. Growing up he was an avid reader of nature books and devoted his spare time to exploring the fields and woodlands around his home, collecting plants and insects.

In 1825 Darwin enrolled in medical school at the University of Edinburgh, where he witnessed surgery on a child. Surgeries at the time would have been carried out without the use of anaesthetic or antiseptics, and fatalities were common.

Watching this procedure left Darwin so traumatised that he gave up his studies without completing the course.

During his time in Edinburgh, Darwin also paid for lessons in taxidermy from John Edmonstone , a former enslaved man from Guyana. The skills Edmonstone taught Darwin became crucial just a few years further into his career.

After his time in Scotland, Darwin went to Cambridge University to study theology.

The voyage of HMS Beagle

In no rush to take holy orders, in 1831 Darwin accepted an offer to embark on a five-year voyage aboard HMS Beagle. 

Drawing of H.M.S. Beagle from A Naturalist’s Voyage Round the World by Charles Darwin.

He was recommended by one of his Cambridge professors for the role as naturalist and companion to the ship’s captain, Robert FitzRoy.

The journey would change both his life and the trajectory of Western scientific thinking.

Darwin explored remote regions and marvelled at a world so different from the one he knew. He encountered birds with bright blue feet, sharks with T-shaped heads and giant tortoises.

On his travels Darwin collected plants, animals and fossils, and took copious field notes. These collections and records provided the evidence he needed to develop his remarkable theory.

The shells in this specimen drawer were collected by Charles Darwin during the voyage of the HMS Beagle.

Darwin returned to England in 1836. A highly methodical scholar, constantly collecting and observing, he spent many years comparing and analysing specimens before finally declaring that evolution occurs by a process of natural selection.

What is the theory of natural selection?

To this day the theory of evolution by natural selection is accepted by the scientific community as the best evidence-based explanation for the diversity and complexity of life on Earth.

The theory proposes that the ‘fittest’ individual organisms - those with the characteristics best suited to their environment - are more likely to survive and reproduce. They pass on these desirable characteristics to their offspring.

Gradually these features may become more common in a population, so species change over time. If the changes are great enough, they could produce a new species altogether.

On his travels Darwin had collected finches from many of the Galápagos Islands - off the coast of Ecuador - which helped him to formulate his idea.

Cactus finch Geospiza scandens from Charles Darwin’s Zoology of the Voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle.

Some of these finches had stout beaks for eating seeds, others were insect specialists. But Darwin realised that they were all descendants of a single ancestor. As they dispersed to different islands, the birds had adapted to eat the various foods available. Natural selection had produced 13 different species of finch.

Darwin’s pigeons

From his travels on HMS Beagle, Darwin suspected that the environment might naturally manipulate species, causing them to change over time - but he couldn’t find a means to explore this effectively in the wild. 

Experimenting with artificial selection in pigeons gave him a way to study how far a species could change.

By artificially selecting features - crossing birds with particular characteristics to generate different offspring - he gathered valuable evidence for evolution by natural selection.

To illustrate his theory, Darwin bred the birds to have exaggerated features.

Original line drawing of an English Pouter pigeon from the book Variation in Animals and Plants under Domestication by Charles Darwin.

The similarity between artificial selection and natural selection is at the heart of his explanation of evolution in his revolutionary book On the Origin of Species. 

After completing his experiments, he gave all 120 of his pigeon specimens to the Museum. They are currently part of our bird collections  kept at Tring , Hertfordshire. 

Fancy breeds of rock dove  Columbia livia  donated to our collections by Charles Darwin in 1867.

A shared discovery

Darwin knew his radical ideas would be met with stiff opposition. Even after 20 years of research, he worried about how his theory of evolution would be received as it challenged widely held religious beliefs of the time. 

He delayed publishing on the topic for a great number of years while he assembled a mountain of evidence. When he learned that the young naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace had developed similar ideas, Darwin volunteered to send Wallace's ideas to a journal for immediate publication.

Letter sent to Charles Darwin by Alfred Russel Wallace.

On advice from friends, the two scientists organised a joint announcement. Their theory of evolution by natural selection was presented at the Linnean Society in London.

Both had studied the natural world extensively and made a number of observations that were critical to the development of the theory.

The following year, Darwin published the contentious but now-celebrated book, ‘On the Origin of Species’.

On the Origin of Species

Published in 1859, On the Origin of Species provoked outrage from some members of the Church of England as it implicitly contradicted the belief in divine creation.

Despite accusations of blasphemy, the book quickly became a bestseller.

Foreign language first editions of some works by Charles Darwin.

The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex - which Darwin published in 1871 - fuelled even greater debate as it suggested that humans descended from apes.

The Bishop of Oxford famously asked Thomas Huxley, one of Darwin’s most enthusiastic supporters, whether it was through his grandfather or grandmother that he claimed descent from a monkey.

Despite the attacks, Darwin’s conviction in the scientific explanation that best fit the available evidence remained unshaken.

He was keen for his ideas to reach as many people as possible and for his books to be read in many different languages. Part of his success has been attributed to his conversational and approachable writing style.

On the Origin of Species was so influential that within a year it had been published in German. In Darwin's lifetime, his book was translated into German, Danish, Dutch, French, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Spanish and Swedish. 

Our Library has 478 editions of On the Origin of Species in 38 languages and in Braille.

Japanese translation of On the Origin of Species, Shu No Kigen, published in 1914 as a five-volume, pocket-sized edition.

Darwin and the tree of life

Charles Darwin used the concept of a tree of life in the context of the theory of evolution to illustrate that all species on Earth are related and evolved from a common ancestor.

Darwin’s first sketch of the tree of life, found in one of his notebooks from 1837. Image reproduced with kind permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library . 

The tips of the branches show the species that are still alive today. The tree also shows those that are now extinct. Darwin explained:

‘From the first growth of the tree, many a limb and branch has decayed and dropped off; and these fallen branches of various sizes may represent those whole orders, families, and genera which have now no living representatives, and which are known to us only in a fossil state.’

Orders, families and genera are all groups that can be used to classify organisms.

The lines on the tree show evolutionary relationships between species. For example, a recent version of the tree of life would show a line between some types of dinosaurs and the earliest birds , as scientists reason that birds evolved from a particular lineage of dinosaurs.

This means that species that are closely related are found close together stemming from the same branch.

For example, humans, chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans are all great apes, so they all belong to the same branch of the tree of life.

Darwin’s legacy

Although Darwin’s theory of evolution has been modified over time, it remains fundamental to the study of the natural world. Darwin changed not only the way we see all organisms, but also the way we see ourselves.

• Museum history
• Charles Darwin

Explore the Darwin collection

The Museum Library contains the worlds largest collection of works by and about Charles Darwin. 

Explore the collections

From giant fossil mammals to mysterious moths, uncover the colourful stories behind some of our most fascinating specimens.

Related posts

In high spirits: meet Charles Darwin's octopus

Brimming with enthusiasm for the natural world, even Charles Darwin didn't always get it right.

John Edmonstone: the man who taught Darwin taxidermy

John Edmonstone was a former enslaved man who taught the young Charles Darwin the skill of taxidermy.

What is natural selection?

Natural selection is one of the core processes of evolution - but how does it work and will it ever end? 

Who was Alfred Russel Wallace?

An intrepid explorer and brilliant naturalist, Alfred Russel Wallace co-published the theory of evolution by natural selection with Charles Darwin.

Don't miss a thing

Receive email updates about our news, science, exhibitions, events, products, services and fundraising activities. We may occasionally include third-party content from our corporate partners and other museums. We will not share your personal details with these third parties. You must be over the age of 13. Privacy notice .

Follow us on social media

ENCYCLOPEDIC ENTRY

Charles darwin.

Charles Darwin and his observations while aboard the HMS Beagle , changed the understanding of evolution on Earth.

Biology, Earth Science, Geography, Physical Geography

Historic photograph of Charles Darwin in profile.

Photograph by Chronical/Alamy Stock Photo

Charles Darwin was born in 1809 in Shrewsbury, England. His father, a doctor, had high hopes that his son would earn a medical degree at Edinburgh University in Scotland, where he enrolled at the age of sixteen. It turned out that Darwin was more interested in natural history than medicine—it was said that the sight of blood made him sick to his stomach. While he continued his studies in theology at Cambridge, it was his focus on natural history that became his passion.

In 1831, Darwin embarked on a voyage aboard a ship of the British Royal Navy, the HMS Beagle, employed as a naturalist . The main purpose of the trip was to survey the coastline of South America and chart its harbors to make better maps of the region. The work that Darwin did was just an added bonus.

Darwin spent much of the trip on land collecting samples of plants, animals, rocks, and fossils . He explored regions in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, and remote islands such as the Galápagos. He packed all of his specimens into crates and sent them back to England aboard other vessels.

Upon his return to England in 1836, Darwin’s work continued. Studies of his samples and notes from the trip led to groundbreaking scientific discoveries. Fossils he collected were shared with paleontologists and geologists, leading to advances in the understanding of the processes that shape the Earth’s surface. Darwin’s analysis of the plants and animals he gathered led him to question how species form and change over time. This work convinced him of the insight that he is most famous for— natural selection . The theory of natural selection says that individuals of a species are more likely to survive in their environment and pass on their genes to the next generation when they inherit traits from their parents that are best suited for that specific environment. In this way, such traits become more widespread in the species and can lead eventually to the development of a new species .

In 1859, Darwin published his thoughts about evolution and natural selection in On the Origin of Species . It was as popular as it was controversial. The book convinced many people that species change over time—a lot of time—suggesting that the planet was much older than what was commonly believed at the time: six thousand years.

Charles Darwin died in 1882 at the age of seventy-three. He is buried in Westminster Abbey in London, England.

Media Credits

The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited.

Production Managers

Program specialists, last updated.

October 19, 2023

User Permissions

For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. They will best know the preferred format. When you reach out to them, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource.

If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. If no button appears, you cannot download or save the media.

Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service .

Interactives

Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. You cannot download interactives.

Related Resources

• Bipolar Disorder
• Therapy Center
• When To See a Therapist
• Types of Therapy
• Best Online Therapy
• Best Couples Therapy
• Managing Stress
• Sleep and Dreaming
• Understanding Emotions
• Self-Improvement
• Healthy Relationships
• Student Resources
• Personality Types
• Sweepstakes
• Guided Meditations
• Verywell Mind Insights
• 2024 Verywell Mind 25
• Mental Health in the Classroom
• Editorial Process
• Meet Our Review Board
• Crisis Support

Charles Darwin: Biography, Theories, Contributions

Duncan1890 / Getty Images

Biography of Charles Darwin

• Best Known For

Natural Selection and Evolution

• Controversies
• Research on Emotions
• Views on Women
• Contributions

Charles Darwin was a renowned British naturalist and biologist best known for his theory of evolution through natural selection. His theory that all life evolved from a common ancestor is now a cornerstone of modern science, making Darwin one of the most influential individuals in history. It is difficult to overstate the monumental influence his work has had on our scientific understanding of the world.

This article discusses Charles Darwin's life and work, including his famous theory of natural selection as well as some of his lesser-known research on human emotion.

Charles Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, England, on February 12, 1809. His father was a wealthy doctor, and his grandfather on his mother's side was the noted potter Josiah Wedgwood. After his mother’s death when he was eight, Darwin began attending boarding school with his older brother. 

Darwin originally began his studies at the University of Edinburgh Medical School, but later developed an interest in ministry and botany, eventually receiving his degree from Cambridge in 1831.

His famed voyage to the Galapagos Islands led to the observations that served as the basis for Darwin's groundbreaking theory of natural selection.

In 1839, Darwin married his cousin Emma Wedgwood. They had 10 children together, with seven surviving to adulthood. In 1859, he published his observations and ideas in his book "On the Origin of Species By Means of Natural Selection."

Darwin's ideas were heavily debated in his own time and continue to spark controversy today. In contrast to this, Darwin himself lived a secluded life at his home in England, where he continued to work as a highly regarded scientist.

Darwin died on April 19, 1882, and is buried at Westminster Abbey in London, England.

Darwin's Illness

For much of his adult life, Darwin had an undiagnosed chronic illness that limited his activities. Symptoms included physical complaints such as stomach pain and dizziness, as well as signs of panic attacks such as shortness of breath and heart palpitations.

One theory suggests that he may have had panic disorder with agoraphobia . This diagnosis would also explain his secluded lifestyle, difficulty with public speaking, and struggles when meeting with colleagues.

Other proposed diagnoses include mercury poisoning, allergies, Crohn's disease, and irritable bowel syndrome. However, many researchers now believe that he had an adult-onset mitochondrial disorder.

What Was Charles Darwin Most Famous For?

Charles Darwin is most famous for his theory of evolution through the process of natural selection. Since introducing his ideas in “On the Origin of the Species,” his work has revolutionized the scientific understanding of how species evolve over time. This helped lay the foundation for modern biological sciences .

His Studies on the Galapagos Islands

During a voyage on a ship called the HMS Beagle, Darwin traveled to the Galapagos Islands, a journey that had a profound influence on his thinking and ideas. During this trip, he noticed interesting variations in the different species of finches that lived on the islands.

The beaks of these birds appeared to vary depending on the native food sources where the birds lived. Darwin hypothesized that the variations he observed resulted from natural selection that favored birds with beaks suited to the local food sources.  

There are 14 species of finches found on the Galapagos Islands, which are now collectively referred to as "Darwin's finches."

In “On the Origin of the Species,” Darwin suggested that all species on Earth, including humans, evolved from common ancestors. The diversity found in all species, he explained, results from changes that occur gradually over very long periods of time, a process he referred to as “descent with modification.” This happens through natural selection, where certain traits that benefit an organism's survival are more likely to be passed down. 

Because these organisms are more likely to survive and reproduce, those beneficial traits are more likely to be handed down. This leads to the adaptation and evolution of species.

Charles Darwin's concept of evolution through natural selection suggested that species change slowly over time as a response to their environment. This theory changed our scientific understanding of the diversity of life on Earth and laid the groundwork for the development of modern biology.

How Does Natural Selection Work?

According to Darwin, the individuals within a population possess variations, some of which are better suited to the environment in which they live. As a result, those with these adaptations are more likely to survive, reproduce, and thus pass these advantageous characteristics down to their offspring.

Over time, this process gradually leads the adaptive traits to become more prominent and can eventually lead to the emergence of new species.

The Five Principles of Natural Selection

The five principles of natural selection described by Charles Darwin can be remembered using the acronym VISTA, standing for variation, inheritance, selection, time, and adaptation.

• Variation : In all populations of any species, there are individual variations in different traits. The species' members can vary in appearance, size, abilities, immunity, and numerous other characteristics. Many of these variations result from genetic inheritance but can also occur due to random mutations.
• Inheritance : The various traits organisms possess can be inherited through genetic inheritance. In other words, when members of a species reproduce, their offspring are more likely to also possess those same traits.
• Selection : Environmental resources are limited, so organisms with advantageous characteristics that make it easier for them to survive are more likely to thrive in their environment and reproduce. This increased chance of reproduction means that their children are more likely to have the same traits that helped their ancestors survive.
• Time : As time passes, each generation continues to produce more offspring with advantageous characteristics. With the passage of time, the beneficial traits continue to accumulate, resulting in significant changes in the characteristics of the entire population.
• Adaptation : Such traits eventually become more common in the population, making the entire species better suited to survive in their environment.

What Does ‘Survival of the Fittest’ Mean?

An important part of natural selection is the idea of ‘survival of the fittest.’ The phrase was first introduced in 1854 by Herbert Spencer in his book "The Principles of Biology."

The idea suggests that when it comes to each organism's struggle to survive and reproduce, those with traits that make them the best suited to their environment are the most likely to survive and pass down their genes to the next generation.

In this context, "fitness" refers to an organism's ability to survive in its environment and reproduce. It is the traits that help the individual survive that are considered most advantageous. 

Fitness does not refer to physical strength. Instead, it means the individual has traits that make them better suited for life in a specific environment. For example, an organism with coloring that camouflages it from predators would be considered a better fit, from an evolutionary perspective, than coloring that makes it more susceptible to becoming prey.

Fitness can refer to a wide variety of characteristics. This might include physical attributes such as camouflage, speed, strength, or agility. It might also refer to behavioral adaptations that confer a greater chance of survival. Migration, hibernation, and courtship behaviors are a few examples of behavioral adaptations influenced by evolution.

Controversies Surrounding Darwin’s Theory of Evolution

Darwin's theory was considered shocking and controversial after its introduction. While the theory is accepted by nearly all scientists today, Darwin's ideas are still disputed or rejected by some people.

Darwin and his work have remained controversial in the more than 140 years since his death. One survey found that a third of U.S. adults reject the idea that humans evolved through natural selection, views that correspond with rates of religious belief.

One critic during Darwin's time was the English comparative anatomist and paleontologist Richard Owen. While Owen agreed that evolution occurred, he was a vocal critic of Darwin's idea of natural selection. Instead, he proposed the existence of predetermined "archetypes" that guide the evolutionary changes that species experience. 

During Darwin's time, some critics suggested that the lack of transitional fossils (demonstrating the gradual progression of a species over time) was evidence that Darwin’s evolutionary theory was wrong. In the subsequent years, however, many of these so-called "missing links" have been added to the fossil record, providing paleontological support for these evolutionary transitions.

Other critics focus on their belief that all life results from divine creation. However, it is important to note that Darwin's theory of evolution does not focus on how life originated. Instead, Darwin's theory of natural selection explains how life evolved over time and how this explains the diversity of life on Earth.

While there have been debates and criticisms from various sources, it is important to note that Darwin was highly regarded in his own time. Support from the scientific community continued to build over the years, and more evidence supporting Darwin's theory accumulated from various fields.

Charles Darwin’s Research on Human Emotions

While Darwin is best known for his theory of evolution, he also studied and wrote about a wide range of topics, from plants to sea life. Beyond his work as a naturalist, he also conducted one lesser-known experiment on the study of human emotions , making him one of the earliest experimental psychology researchers. 

In archival research looking at Darwin's letters and other writings, researchers found references to a small experiment that Darwin had conducted at home. Darwin had corresponded with the French physician Guillaume Duchenne de Boulogne, who had used electrical impulses to stimulate facial muscles into specific expressions, which were then recorded on photographic plates. Using this method, Duchenne suggested that the human face is capable of expressing at least 60 distinct emotions.

Darwin disagreed. Using Duchenne's plates, Darwin devised his own experiment, a single-blind study in which he randomized the order of the plates and then presented them to over 20 participants (i.e., Darwin's guests). He then asked his guests to identify the emotions represented in the photographic slides. 

In studying Darwin's notes, researchers discovered that the participants agreed when it came to the basic emotions , such as happiness , surprise, and fear. For more ambiguous photographs, responses were much more mixed.

In Darwin's view, only those emotions that were readily identifiable and agreed upon by observers represented universal emotions.

Darwin's observations and conclusions in this and other studies he conducted helped inform his 1872 book "The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals." In this book, Darwin emphasized the importance of emotional expression in both humans and animals, suggesting that:

• Some emotional expressions are universal
• Some emotions have a biological, evolutionary basis
• These universal expressions evolved through natural selection because they aid in survival, reproduction, and communication
• Humans and animals display similar emotions, suggesting they have a common evolutionary origin

Darwin's work offered insights into the importance of emotions, their evolutionary roots, and their universality across cultures and species . His observations also helped lay the groundwork for future research on the psychology of human emotions.

However, Darwin's ideas about emotion were eclipsed by his more famous theory of natural selection. It wasn't until the 1960s that psychologist Paul Ekman returned to Darwin's findings and, using methods similar to those originally pioneered by Darwin, found additional evidence for the existence of basic, universal human emotions.

Try the emotion experiment yourself!

The Darwin Correspondence Project allows viewers to see the original photographic plates Duchenne and Darwin used this in their experiments. You can also give your own response and see how your interpretation compares to those of Darwin's guests.

What Were Charles Darwin’s Views on Women?

While Darwin revolutionized the field of science, his views on women were far from progressive. His attitudes reflected the prevailing sexist, misogynistic ideas of his time. In his published writings, he echoed the societal and cultural beliefs that women were inferior to men, viewing them as less intelligent.

In his book "The Descent of Man," Darwin wrote, "Woman seems to differ from man in her mental disposition, chiefly in her greater tenderness and less selfishness."

Darwin suggested that the purported superiority of men stemmed from sexual selection, a mode of natural selection in which men compete for mates, leading to the evolution of characteristics that improve their reproductive fitness, including intelligence, physical strength, and competitiveness.

He believed that women's roles were primarily as domestic caretakers and nurturers, which, in his view, did not require strong intellectual capabilities.

There is evidence that Darwin's ideas changed somewhat over time, often influenced by the women in his life, including his wife, daughters, and women intellectuals. While he could not be regarded as a feminist thinker, research on his private correspondence suggests that his views on women were more complex than what appears in his published writing.

Who Did Charles Darwin Influence?

In addition to his profound influence on the biological sciences, Darwin inspired a number of other scientists and researchers in their own work.

Some of these thinkers included:

• Alfred Russel Wallace : A contemporary of Darwin, Wallace was an English naturalist and explorer who independently introduced the idea of evolution through natural selection. His own ideas were published in 1858 along with some of Darwin's earlier writings, prompting Darwin to publish "On the Origin of the Species" the next year.
• William James : The founder of the functionalist school of thought in psychology was heavily influenced by the work of Charles Darwin. This school of thought suggests that the functions of the mind exist because they serve a purpose in survival and adaptation. This idea has its roots in Darwin's theory of natural selection. James was also heavily influenced by Darwin's writings on the topic of emotions. According to the James-Lange theory of emotions , emotions stems from the physiological reactions people experience in response to environmental stimuli.
• Ronald A. Fisher : A British mathematician and biologist, Fisher is considered a founder of modern statistical science. He also played an important role in what is known as modern synthesis, which involved integrating Darwin's natural selection with Mendelian genetics in order to explain how genetic variations within a group can be affected by natural selection.

How Does Charles Darwin’s Work Affect Modern Science Today?

It is difficult to overstate the enormous impact of Darwin's work on modern science. Some of the ways that science continues to be impacted by Darwin's theory of evolution include:

• Evolutionary sciences : The theory of evolution plays an essential role in biology as well as other fields that explain how life has adapted and changed over time, including genetics and evolutionary psychology .
• Medicine : Researchers continue to use their understanding of evolutionary science to study how diseases originate, spread, and mutate.
• Scientific education : While Darwin's ideas remain controversial for some, his work has helped advance scientific literacy and understanding among the general public.

Barloon TJ, Noyes R Jr. Charles Darwin and panic disorder . JAMA . 1997;277(2):138-141. doi:10.1001/jama.1997.03540260052035

Hayman J, Finsterer J. Charles Darwin's mitochondrial disorder: Possible neuroendocrine involvement . Cureus . 2021;13(12):e20689. doi:10.7759/cureus.20689

Cohen JI. Exploring the nature of science through courage and purpose: a case study of Charles Darwin's way of knowing . Springerplus . 2016;5(1):1532. doi:10.1186/s40064-016-3053-0

Palmer DH, Kronforst MR. Divergence and gene flow among Darwin's finches: A genome-wide view of adaptive radiation driven by interspecies allele sharing . Bioessays . 2015;37(9):968-974. doi:10.1002/bies.201500047

National Academy of Sciences (US). Evidence Supporting Biological Evolution . Science and Creationism: A View from the National Academy of Sciences: Second Edition. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1999.

American Museum of Natural History. How does natural selection work ?

Offer J. From ‘natural selection’ to ‘survival of the fittest’: On the significance of Spencer’s refashioning of Darwin in the 1860s . Journal of Classical Sociology . 2014;14(2):156-177. doi:10.1177/1468795X13491646

Lampe DJ, Kantorski B, Pollock JA. Charles Darwin Synthetic Interview: A 19th century scientist speaks in the 21st century . J STEM Outreach . 2018;1(1):10.15695/jstem/v1i1.1. doi:10.15695/jstem/v1i1.1

Johnson CN. Charles Darwin, Richard Owen, and natural selection: A question of priority . J Hist Biol . 2019;52(1):45-85. doi:10.1007/s10739-018-9514-2

Snyder PJ, Kaufman R, Harrison J, Maruff P. Charles Darwin's emotional expression "experiment" and his contribution to modern neuropharmacology . J Hist Neurosci . 2010;19(2):158-170. doi:10.1080/09647040903506679

Reynolds EH, Broussolle E. Allbutt of Leeds and Duchenne de Boulogne: Newly discovered insights on Duchenne by a British neuropsychiatrist . Rev Neurol (Paris) . 2018;174(5):308-312. doi:10.1016/j.neurol.2017.07.012

Ludwig RJ, Welch MG. Darwin's other dilemmas and the theoretical roots of emotional connection . Front Psychol . 2019;10:683. Published 2019 Apr 12. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00683

Wolf K. Measuring facial expression of emotion . Dialogues Clin Neurosci . 2015;17(4):457-462. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2015.17.4/kwolf

Darwin, C. R. 1871. The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex . London: John Murray. Volume 1. 1st edition.

Davis AC, Arnocky S. Darwin versus Wallace: Esthetic evolution and preferential mate choice . Front Psychol . 2022;13:862385. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.862385)

University of Cambridge. Darwin's women .

National History Museum. Who was Alfred Russel Wallace ?

Reddy RP, Korde SP, Kanungo S, et al. Neural correlates of emotion: Acquisition versus innate view point . Indian J Psychol Med . 2014;36(4):385-391. doi:10.4103/0253-7176.140720

Bradley B. Natural selection according to Darwin: cause or effect ? Hist Philos Life Sci . 2022;44(2):13. doi:10.1007/s40656-022-00485-z

National Academy of Sciences (US); Avise JC, Ayala FJ, editors.  13, Darwin and the Scientific Method . In the Light of Evolution: Volume III: Two Centuries of Darwin . Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2009.

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

• Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin was a British scientist who known for his support of evolution and his publications that helped bring the idea into the scientific mainstream. His theory regarding natural selection was supported by sufficient scientific evidences that are collected during his travels around the globe.

Darwin’s Early Life

Charles Darwin was born in a small town in England in 1809. He was the fifth child of parents Robert Waring Darwin and Susannah Wedgwood. Charles’ paternal grandfather, Erasmus Darwin, was one of the well-known intellectuals in England during the 18th century and his maternal grandfather, Josiah Wedgwood, was a China manufacturer.

Darwin’s early life was quite ordinary. He did not enjoy going to school, and he was a slow learner. He attended the Shrewsbury school before leaving for Edinburg University to study medicine. There, he assisted in the study of marine invertebrates, their life cycles and their anatomies. However, he had little interest in medicine so he decided to choose a different career following a suggestion by his father.

Darwin Becomes a Naturalist

In 1828, Darwin joined Christ’s College, Cambridge, to study to become a parson. However, he was unqualified to join in any course other than an ordinary degree course. He passed his Bachelor of Arts degree in the year 1831. It was in Christ’s College where he met two influential people – Adam Sedgwick and John Stevens Henslow. They would help shape the rest of Darwin’s life as a naturalist and change our understanding of the natural world forever.

Travels on the Beagle

Henslow eventually advised Darwin to travel with him in the Beagle , which was a survey ship that was about to undertake a journey around the world for a period of five years.

Henslow helped Darwin get aboard the HMS Beagle in 1831. During the course of his trip, Darwin collected samples of various natural specimens including fossils, plants, and birds. During this time, Darwin read Principles of Geology , written by Lyell, which suggested that fossils are animals that lived thousands of years ago.

This argument was reinforced in Darwin’s mind by the various geographical features and rich animal life he saw during his voyage. In 1835, the Beagle reached the Galapagos Islands which had a large number of animal and bird species. He collected various specimens and noted that those specimens that belong to the same geographical location were closely related, even though their feeding habits and structures were different.

Making the Theory

In 1836, Darwin returned to England and started to solve the riddles of his observations and understand how species evolve. He then proposed a theory of evolution by the process of natural selection after getting influenced by the ideas of Malthus. According to him, the animals and plant species that are best suited to their surroundings will survive and reproduce easily. They will then pass on the characteristics that helped them survive to their offspring. Gradually, the species change over time.

In 1838, Darwin married Emma Wedgewood. They moved to Down House in 1842 along with their children. This is about the time when he developed the theory of evolution through natural selection more fully. However, it took around 15 years to finalize his manuscript.

In 1858, Darwin joined with another scientist who had similar ideas on evolution. In 1859, Darwin published his book On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection . It work was criticized widely so he tried to answer their questions in an additional five editions which were published during his lifetime. Charles Darwin died in 1882 and was buried in Westminster Abbey.

Famous Biologists

• Alexander Von Humboldt
• Andreas Vesalius
• Antoine Lavoisier
• Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
• Claude Bernard
• Edward Jenner
• Galen of Pergamon
• Gregor Mendel
• Hippocrates
• Joseph Lister
• Joseph Priestley
• Louis Pasteur
• Rachel Carson
• Robert Brown
• Robert Hooke

Copyright © 2013 · famousbiologists.org · All Rights Reserved. | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy

Charles Darwin

SCIENTISTS (1809–1882); SHREWSBURY

When Charles Darwin's book, On the Origin of Species , came out in 1859, it completely changed the way people view life itself. For some, it was enlightening; for others, it was blasphemous. And now, more than 160 years later, his theory of evolution through natural selection is still a hotly debated subject. Read on for facts, quotes, and more on Charles Darwin.

1. Charles Darwin was a scientist and naturalist who was pretty bad at math.

Charles Darwin, born in Shrewsbury, England in 1809, was a biologist and naturalist best known for his theory of evolution through natural selection, which is the idea that organisms change over time through heritable traits that better allow them to adapt to environmental challenges. Those that don't, die off, which is why it has subsequently been dubbed "survival of the fittest."

Unfortunately, Darwin's connection to the world of science didn't lend itself to a love of math. After struggling with the subject in college, Darwin was forced to hire a tutor in 1828. But when he continued to lag behind, he fired the tutor after just a few weeks. To Darwin, algebra was a "repugnant" subject, but as he got older, he regretted his impatience with math.

2. Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution through Natural Selection (or Darwinism) came about at the same time as Alfred Russel Wallace's.

Charles Darwin began studying what would become known as natural selection  in the 1830s , but, concerned about the public reaction, he sat on his new theory for decades. By the mid-1850s, British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace had begun independently working on his own ideas of natural selection and knew Darwin had been involved in similar research. Wallace even sent Darwin a paper he had written on the subject to peer review it, and the two later collaborated on a new paper on the subject in 1858.

Then, in 1859, Darwin finally went public with his theory with On The Origin of Species . No longer shackled to the niche scientific community, Darwin's book presented these world-shaking ideas to the masses, forever linking the scientist to this famed theory. Wallace, on the other hand, often goes overlooked.

3. Charles Darwin's Voyage on the H.M.S. Beagle led to many of his breakthroughs.

On December 27, 1831, Darwin set sail aboard the H.M.S. Beagle on a five-year voyage to the Pacific Islands, the Galápagos Islands, and South America. It was on this journey that a 22-year-old Darwin would visit several continents, ship more than 1500 species back home to study, and fill notebook after notebook with his discoveries. While on the Galápagos , finches were particularly vital to Darwin as he was forming his theory of natural selection. He observed the variations in the shape of their beaks ( some had longer, pointier beaks, while others were short and stout) from island to island, further confirming that the unique challenges in each environment led finches with specific traits to become dominant.

4. Charles Darwin’s Book On The Origin of Species took 25 years to write.

Darwin devoted his life to science and had a few published works, but On The Origin of Species is his most well-known book. It illustrates his theory of evolution and process of natural selection and was published on November 24, 1859. But a work of such significance isn't easy: On the Origin of Species took Charles Darwin 25 years to write.

5. Charles Darwin had 10 Children with his first cousin.

Charles Darwin married his first cousin, Emma Wedgwood, on January 29, 1839. The two shared the same grandfather, Josiah Wedgwood. Together, the couple had 10 children:

• Elizabeth Darwin: 1847–1929
• George Darwin: 1845–1912
• Henrietta Darwin: 1843­–1927
• Mary Darwin: 1842
• Anne Darwin: 1841­­–1851
• William Darwin: 1839–1949
• Francis Darwin: 1848–1925
• Leonard Darwin: 1850–1943
• Horace Darwin: 1851–1928
• Charles Darwin: 1856–1858

Charles Darwin was a botanist and experimented with breeding plants in his greenhouse. He found that cross-fertilization produced much healthier plants than self-fertilization, and it’s said he worried whether his children would have health issues due to their parents being so closely related.

Two of his other children didn’t make it into adulthood. And three that did survive and marry were never able to have any children of their own.

6. Charles Darwin was a foodie before that was a thing.

While studying at Cambridge, Darwin became a member of the Glutton Club . This was basically a group of friends who would meet up once a week to eat "birds and beasts, which were before unknown to human palate." This led to a wide variety of peculiar meals, such as iguanas, armadillos, and plenty of rodents. The club apparently disbanded after a particularly hideous taste of a brown owl, which Darwin said was "indescribable."

Books written by Charles Darwin.

Other than On the Origin of Species , Charles Darwin's other books include:

• The Effects of Cross and Self Fertilization in the Vegetable Kingdom
• The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals
• The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex
• The Different Forms of Flowers on Plants of the Same Species
• The Formation of Vegetable Mould, Through the Action of Worms
• The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication
• On the Various Contrivances by Which British and Foreign Orchids Are Fertilised by Insects.

Famous quotes from Charles Darwin.

• “A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.”
• “If I had my life to live over again , I would have made a rule to read some poetry and listen to some music at least once every week.”
• "Man selects only for his own good ; Nature only for that of the being which she tends."
• “Ignorance more frequently begets confidence than does knowledge: it is those who know little, not those who know much, who so positively assert that this or that problem will never be solved by science.”

Famous Scientists

Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin is often cited as the greatest biologist in history. His most famous work, On the Origin of Species , explains the theory of evolution by natural selection, providing numerous supporting examples. Darwin believed that all of life on earth had descended from a common ancestor, whose offspring could vary slightly from the previous generation. Successive generations of life took part in a struggle for existence in which the best adapted variations survived to seed new generations. Less well adapted variations became extinct.

Charles Robert Darwin was born into a wealthy family on February 12, 1809 in the town of Shrewsbury, England, UK. He was the fifth child of six.

Charles Darwin, aged 7

His father, Robert Darwin, was a physician. Robert Darwin had grown rich by shrewdly investing money earned from his medical practice.

Charles’s mother was Susannah Wedgewood, from the famous pottery family. She died when Charles was eight years old. He then started attending an elementary school

School At the age of nine, Charles was sent to Shrewsbury School, about a mile from his family home. He boarded there, often briefly returning home to keep up with family goings-on.

His boarding school followed a traditional classical curriculum revolving around Ancient Greek and Latin, which Charles loathed. He was not considered to be particularly smart. His foreign language skills were poor.

His schoolwork usually involved learning by heart for the next day lines of Roman or Greek literature. Although he disliked doing this, he was happy to work hard. He learned his lines thoroughly, then promptly forgot them all again as soon as class was over.

He enjoyed hunting and going for long walks, observing and collecting things from the natural world. At one point he became so obsessive about hunting that his father declared:

Despite his father’s uncharacteristic outburst, the young Charles Darwin was very enthusiastic about science. He was taught geometry by a private tutor, which he enjoyed, and he also enjoyed learning how complex things worked. He was captivated by a book Wonders of the World , which planted a seed in him to travel. The seed would later bloom into his famous voyage on HMS Beagle.

His brother built a chemistry laboratory in the garden tool-house, and Charles helped with experiments, often late into the night. Chemistry became his favorite subject. Unfortunately, it was not part of his school’s curriculum. In fact he was reprimanded his headmaster for ‘wasting his time’ on chemistry!

Edinburgh and Medical School In 1825, aged 16, Charles became a medical student at the University of Edinburgh, as his father had done 42 years earlier. His father had pleasant memories of Edinburgh, where he was taught by the great chemist Joseph Black, who discovered magnesium, carbon dioxide, and latent heat.

Unlike his father, however, Charles did not enjoy medical school.

He found that dissecting human bodies disgusted him, being present during surgical operations horrified him, and visiting hospital wards distressed him. Moreover, attending lectures bored him:

Confident his father would give him enough money to live in comfort, he decided not to worry about passing his exams.

In his second year at Edinburgh, Charles became interested in zoology, and he collected and dissected marine creatures. He also attended geology lectures, but found them incredibly boring.

His exasperated father decided to halt Charles’s medical studies. He withdrew his son from Edinburgh and sent him to the University of Cambridge with the idea that his idle son would eventually become a Church of England clergyman.

Cambridge and an Easy Degree Early in 1828, just before his twentieth birthday, Charles Darwin enrolled at the University of Cambridge to study for a Bachelor of Arts degree.

After three easy years he received his B.A. degree with marks placing him near the top of the class. He had spent much of his time hunting, dining, drinking, and playing cards – all of which he enjoyed heartily.

Ironically, given Darwin’s later work, his favorite book at university was Evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity . Its author, William Paley, used the example of a watch and a watchmaker in support of his argument that the natural world had been designed by God. Each species of life is much more complex than a watch, Paley said, therefore clearly these species must have been designed by someone – and that someone was God.

The Natural World During his time in Cambridge, Darwin continued to pursue his scientific interests, particularly in botany and zoology: his greatest interest by far was in collecting different species of beetle.

Reading Alexander von Humboldt’s book Personal Narrative of travels 1799-1804 and John Herschel’s Introduction to the Study of Natural Philosophy energized Darwin. He thirsted for overseas adventures and scientific discoveries.

After finishing at Cambridge, he began taking a serious interest in geology, studying rocks near his hometown of Shrewsbury and going on a two week expedition to Wales mapping rock strata.

Charles Darwin’s Contributions to Science

The voyage of the beagle 1831 – 1836.

Darwin spent nearly five years traveling around the world on the Beagle.

Near the end of summer 1831, after completing his degree, Darwin was offered a position as a naturalist on HMS Beagle, one of the British Royal Navy’s survey ships. The position had previously been offered to John Henslow, a geologist and naturalist at Cambridge, but he had turned it down and recommended Darwin.

The Beagle was scheduled to make a long expedition to the South Seas. Darwin would have to pay for his place on the ship, but would be at liberty to collect specimens and send them back to the United Kingdom for his own use or profit.

It was a wonderful opportunity to emulate his hero Alexander von Humboldt. Darwin was determined to grab it with both hands. His father, with some reluctance, agreed to pay for his son’s voyage.

The voyage, much like the fictitious Starship Enterprise’s, was a five year mission. It followed the route shown on the map above. The conditions on the small ship were much less comfortable than those enjoyed by the Starship Enterprise’s crew!

Plan of HMS Beagle

The Beagle – A cramped home for a five year voyage

The Voyage While sailing southward from the British Isles, the Beagle’s first stop was at the volcanic Cape Verde Islands, west of Africa. Darwin found seashells high up in cliffs there. The Beagle’s captain, who had a great interest in the natural world, helped Darwin explain the observation, giving him a copy of Charles Lyell’s Principles of Geology .

Principles of Geology explained uniformitarian ideas in geology – the theory of gradualism, first proposed late in the previous century by James Hutton . A few years later the book’s author, Charles Lyell, would become one of Darwin’s greatest friends and supporters.

The expedition continued, with Darwin writing about his experiences in each new place he visited, collecting samples of flora, fauna, and fossils, and observing rock formations.

He saw a variety of unusual, unique species on the Galapagos Islands. Each separate island seemed to have its own distinct varieties of wildlife. Observations like these provoked him to write late in the voyage:

Back Home Again Darwin arrived back in England in October 1836. He had kept in touch with John Henslow, sending him notes regularly about his geological work on the expedition. Henslow put these notes together into a 31 page pamphlet, which he distributed to Cambridge’s scientific community and beyond.

Henslow also showed paleontologists fossils Darwin sent him, which caused more excitement.

Although Darwin embarked on the voyage as an unknown recent graduate, he returned as a respected, well-known scientist. Also, he assembled a large, exciting collection of specimens that naturalists were queuing up to study and catalog.

His father was relieved his prediction that Charles would disgrace the family had been proven wrong. Charles Darwin was now admired in the world of natural science, and his father agreed to continue funding his work. In fact, other people also recognized the value of Darwin’s work, and he now received a large grant from the British government to write up his observations from the Beagle’s expedition.

Scientific Results from Darwin’s Voyage

Darwin established that the South American continent is gradually rising from the ocean. Charles Lyell, whose geology book influenced Darwin on the voyage, arranged for Darwin to present this work to the Geological Society of London at the beginning of 1837.

At the same meeting Darwin presented specimens of birds he had collected from the Galapagos Islands. Within a week, the ornithologist John Gould examined the specimens and declared the birds belonged to an entirely new group of finches. Darwin had discovered 12 new finch species and a new group of finches.

Evolution by Natural Selection

On his long voyage, at times mesmerized by nature’s abundance, Darwin’s thoughts had increasingly turned to the question of how different species had formed.

Earlier Ideas about Evolution

The concept of evolution had been hatched thousands of years before Darwin’s time .

His grandfather, Erasmus Darwin, had made some striking contributions to evolutionary theory, including the idea that all life has a common origin .

Darwin’s Theory

In July 1837 Darwin began keeping a notebook of his thoughts and theories about the variation of plants and animals.

By this time, he had completely accepted that species could evolve (or, to use Darwin’s language, transmute ).

He decided he would make his investigation according to the principles of Francis Bacon – he would assemble facts before producing a theory.

In October 1838 he read Thomas Malthus’s work on population, showing that populations increase until food runs out, then crash. There is a struggle for existence. Darwin said that having read Malthus:

By December 1838 Darwin was mulling over how breeders improve domestic animals by selecting the animals with the best qualities. In the natural world the selection is carried out by the environment. The lifeforms best adapted to the environment survive and breed. This is natural selection.

In 1842 he wrote his first paper on what came to be known as evolution by natural selection, but only for his own use.

In 1845 he published thoughts, formed much earlier, about the new species of finches he discovered in the Galapagos Islands, saying he could imagine that one original species had been modified into all the different species.

Darwin decided that the different species of finches on the Galapagos Islands were all descended from a single finch ancestor.

If Darwin had been an ambitious scientist, he could have published a theory of evolution by natural selection in 1839, but he didn’t. He continued:

• gathering and weighing evidence and assessing specimens from his voyage
• breeding animals and plants to determine how species could be modified by artificial selection
• writing books and papers about a variety of topics including geology

Darwin’s Hand is Forced

On 18 June 1858, aged 49, Darwin opened his mail and got a terrible shock. He had been corresponding with Alfred Russel Wallace , a young, self-trained naturalist who was on an expedition in the East Indies.

Wallace now asked for Darwin’s opinion of a paper he had written. The paper described the theory of evolution by natural selection – the theory Darwin had spent decades gathering evidence for, but had never published. Darwin wrote back, offering his opinion that Wallace’s paper could be published in any journal of Wallace’s choosing.

Darwin also showed Wallace’s paper to his scientific friends Charles Lyell (Wallace had requested this) and Joseph Dalton Hooker.

Darwin was in crisis at this time because his young son had been terribly sick, eventually dying of scarlet fever on June 28.

His friends were aware that Darwin actually arrived at the theory first. They decided the joint theories of Darwin and Wallace should be read to the Linnean Society on July 1. Darwin did not attend the reading. His place was at his son’s funeral.

In the event, the reading of the Darwin-Wallace paper provoked little interest.

The Origin of Species

Darwin’s game-changing book On the Origin of Species – often called the most important book in the history of biology – became available to the public on November 24, 1859; booksellers immediately sold all 1250 copies.

Trying to avoid controversy, Darwin avoided making any claims for the origin a particular species, such as Homo sapiens . He did however, in agreement with his grandfather’s much earlier theory, write:

Over the following years Darwin updated the book regularly. He eventually authored six significantly different editions.

Some of the most familiar ideas of ‘Darwinism’ did not appear until the later editions: the famous phrase “survival of the fittest” appeared for the first time in the 1869 fifth edition. Remarkably, the word evolution made its first appearance in the sixth edition in 1872.

In support of his theory of common ancestry, Darwin was particularly taken by the similarity of the embryos of different species.

Further Work

In 1868 Darwin wrote The Variation of Animals and Plants under Domestication . Feeling the need to offer a mechanism for heredity, and unaware that Gregor Mendel had already provided it, Darwin incorrectly proposed heredity resulted from a process called pangenesis .

Many people believed that Darwin’s proposed descent of humans from apes was an attack on society’s moral foundations.

During Darwin’s lifetime, there was fierce opposition to his theory.

The great German pathologist Rudolf Virchow , for example, opposed Darwin from the beginning and never relented in his opposition.

In fact, in 1877, Virchow said the idea that man had descended from apes was an attack on society’s moral foundations. He voiced his opinion that teaching the theory of evolution should not be permitted in Germany’s public schools.

In 1872 Darwin looked at the evolution of human psychology in his book The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals , showing there are similarities in human and animal psychology.

The idea that species evolve had become accepted by most mainstream scientists by about the time the sixth edition of The Origin of Species came out in 1872.

The concept of natural selection, however, was less accepted. In considering the rate at which natural selection pushed evolutionary change, Darwin was heavily influenced by his friend Charles Lyell’s championing of gradualism.

It was only much later, after publication of the 1930 book The Genetical Theory of Natural Selection by Ronald Fisher , that evolution by natural selection became widely accepted by mainstream scientists. Fisher unified the theory of natural selection with the heredity laws of Gregor Mendel

Some Personal Details and the End

Darwin’s wife Emma two years after their marriage.

The couple had ten children; three died in childhood.

Three of their sons, George, Francis, and Horace, became notable scientists and were elected fellows of the Royal Society. George became an astronomer, Francis a botanist, and Horace an engineer.

Another son, Leonard, financially supported the publication of Ronald Fisher’s earliest work.

In 1837, as he began to work hard on a multi-volume book of observations from the Beagle expedition, and simultaneously began seriously researching the transmutation of species, Darwin fell ill. He would be plagued by ill-health for the rest of his life.

In 1842 he moved with his family to a country house outside London, away from the smoke and dirt. He lived a quiet life, not socializing much, concentrating on family life and writing books and scientific papers.

In 1864 Darwin was awarded the Copley Medal, then the greatest honor in science. The award was for:

“his important researches in geology, zoology, and botanical physiology.”

Previous winners included Benjamin Franklin , Alessandro Volta , Hans Christian Oersted , Michael Faraday , Alexander von Humboldt, Charles Lyell, and Robert Bunsen .

Charles Darwin died aged 73 on April 19, 1882, of heart failure at his country house. He was buried in Westminster Abbey, London, next to John Herschel whose work had inspired him at university, and near his best friend Charles Lyell, whose work had influenced him greatly. Other scientists buried in Darwin’s vicinity at Westminster Abbey include Isaac Newton, Ernest Rutherford, J. J. Thomson, and Lord Kelvin.

Author of this page: The Doc Images digitally enhanced and colorized by this website. © All rights reserved.

Cite this Page

Please use the following MLA compliant citation:

Published by FamousScientists.org

Further Reading Charles Darwin Journal of researches into the natural history and geology of the countries visited during the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle round the world, 2nd Edition John Murray, 1845

Charles Darwin The Autobiography of Charles Darwin John Murray, 1887

Phillip Sloan The Concept of Evolution to 1872 The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2014 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.)

More from FamousScientists.org:

Alphabetical List of Scientists

Louis Agassiz | Maria Gaetana Agnesi | Al-Battani Abu Nasr Al-Farabi | Alhazen | Jim Al-Khalili | Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi | Mihailo Petrovic Alas | Angel Alcala | Salim Ali | Luis Alvarez | Andre Marie Ampère | Anaximander | Carl Anderson | Mary Anning | Virginia Apgar | Archimedes | Agnes Arber | Aristarchus | Aristotle | Svante Arrhenius | Oswald Avery | Amedeo Avogadro | Avicenna

Charles Babbage | Francis Bacon | Alexander Bain | John Logie Baird | Joseph Banks | Ramon Barba | John Bardeen | Charles Barkla | Ibn Battuta | William Bayliss | George Beadle | Arnold Orville Beckman | Henri Becquerel | Emil Adolf Behring | Alexander Graham Bell | Emile Berliner | Claude Bernard | Timothy John Berners-Lee | Daniel Bernoulli | Jacob Berzelius | Henry Bessemer | Hans Bethe | Homi Jehangir Bhabha | Alfred Binet | Clarence Birdseye | Kristian Birkeland | James Black | Elizabeth Blackwell | Alfred Blalock | Katharine Burr Blodgett | Franz Boas | David Bohm | Aage Bohr | Niels Bohr | Ludwig Boltzmann | Max Born | Carl Bosch | Robert Bosch | Jagadish Chandra Bose | Satyendra Nath Bose | Walther Wilhelm Georg Bothe | Robert Boyle | Lawrence Bragg | Tycho Brahe | Brahmagupta | Hennig Brand | Georg Brandt | Wernher Von Braun | J Harlen Bretz | Louis de Broglie | Alexander Brongniart | Robert Brown | Michael E. Brown | Lester R. Brown | Eduard Buchner | Linda Buck | William Buckland | Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon | Robert Bunsen | Luther Burbank | Jocelyn Bell Burnell | Macfarlane Burnet | Thomas Burnet

Benjamin Cabrera | Santiago Ramon y Cajal | Rachel Carson | George Washington Carver | Henry Cavendish | Anders Celsius | James Chadwick | Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar | Erwin Chargaff | Noam Chomsky | Steven Chu | Leland Clark | John Cockcroft | Arthur Compton | Nicolaus Copernicus | Gerty Theresa Cori | Charles-Augustin de Coulomb | Jacques Cousteau | Brian Cox | Francis Crick | James Croll | Nicholas Culpeper | Marie Curie | Pierre Curie | Georges Cuvier | Adalbert Czerny

Gottlieb Daimler | John Dalton | James Dwight Dana | Charles Darwin | Humphry Davy | Peter Debye | Max Delbruck | Jean Andre Deluc | Democritus | René Descartes | Rudolf Christian Karl Diesel | Diophantus | Paul Dirac | Prokop Divis | Theodosius Dobzhansky | Frank Drake | K. Eric Drexler

John Eccles | Arthur Eddington | Thomas Edison | Paul Ehrlich | Albert Einstein | Gertrude Elion | Empedocles | Eratosthenes | Euclid | Eudoxus | Leonhard Euler

Michael Faraday | Pierre de Fermat | Enrico Fermi | Richard Feynman | Fibonacci – Leonardo of Pisa | Emil Fischer | Ronald Fisher | Alexander Fleming | John Ambrose Fleming | Howard Florey | Henry Ford | Lee De Forest | Dian Fossey | Leon Foucault | Benjamin Franklin | Rosalind Franklin | Sigmund Freud | Elizebeth Smith Friedman

Galen | Galileo Galilei | Francis Galton | Luigi Galvani | George Gamow | Martin Gardner | Carl Friedrich Gauss | Murray Gell-Mann | Sophie Germain | Willard Gibbs | William Gilbert | Sheldon Lee Glashow | Robert Goddard | Maria Goeppert-Mayer | Thomas Gold | Jane Goodall | Stephen Jay Gould | Otto von Guericke

Fritz Haber | Ernst Haeckel | Otto Hahn | Albrecht von Haller | Edmund Halley | Alister Hardy | Thomas Harriot | William Harvey | Stephen Hawking | Otto Haxel | Werner Heisenberg | Hermann von Helmholtz | Jan Baptist von Helmont | Joseph Henry | Caroline Herschel | John Herschel | William Herschel | Gustav Ludwig Hertz | Heinrich Hertz | Karl F. Herzfeld | George de Hevesy | Antony Hewish | David Hilbert | Maurice Hilleman | Hipparchus | Hippocrates | Shintaro Hirase | Dorothy Hodgkin | Robert Hooke | Frederick Gowland Hopkins | William Hopkins | Grace Murray Hopper | Frank Hornby | Jack Horner | Bernardo Houssay | Fred Hoyle | Edwin Hubble | Alexander von Humboldt | Zora Neale Hurston | James Hutton | Christiaan Huygens | Hypatia

Ernesto Illy | Jan Ingenhousz | Ernst Ising | Keisuke Ito

Mae Carol Jemison | Edward Jenner | J. Hans D. Jensen | Irene Joliot-Curie | James Prescott Joule | Percy Lavon Julian

Michio Kaku | Heike Kamerlingh Onnes | Pyotr Kapitsa | Friedrich August Kekulé | Frances Kelsey | Pearl Kendrick | Johannes Kepler | Abdul Qadeer Khan | Omar Khayyam | Alfred Kinsey | Gustav Kirchoff | Martin Klaproth | Robert Koch | Emil Kraepelin | Thomas Kuhn | Stephanie Kwolek

Joseph-Louis Lagrange | Jean-Baptiste Lamarck | Hedy Lamarr | Edwin Herbert Land | Karl Landsteiner | Pierre-Simon Laplace | Max von Laue | Antoine Lavoisier | Ernest Lawrence | Henrietta Leavitt | Antonie van Leeuwenhoek | Inge Lehmann | Gottfried Leibniz | Georges Lemaître | Leonardo da Vinci | Niccolo Leoniceno | Aldo Leopold | Rita Levi-Montalcini | Claude Levi-Strauss | Willard Frank Libby | Justus von Liebig | Carolus Linnaeus | Joseph Lister | John Locke | Hendrik Antoon Lorentz | Konrad Lorenz | Ada Lovelace | Percival Lowell | Lucretius | Charles Lyell | Trofim Lysenko

Ernst Mach | Marcello Malpighi | Jane Marcet | Guglielmo Marconi | Lynn Margulis | Barry Marshall | Polly Matzinger | Matthew Maury | James Clerk Maxwell | Ernst Mayr | Barbara McClintock | Lise Meitner | Gregor Mendel | Dmitri Mendeleev | Franz Mesmer | Antonio Meucci | John Michell | Albert Abraham Michelson | Thomas Midgeley Jr. | Milutin Milankovic | Maria Mitchell | Mario Molina | Thomas Hunt Morgan | Samuel Morse | Henry Moseley

Ukichiro Nakaya | John Napier | Giulio Natta | John Needham | John von Neumann | Thomas Newcomen | Isaac Newton | Charles Nicolle | Florence Nightingale | Tim Noakes | Alfred Nobel | Emmy Noether | Christiane Nusslein-Volhard | Bill Nye

Hans Christian Oersted | Georg Ohm | J. Robert Oppenheimer | Wilhelm Ostwald | William Oughtred

Blaise Pascal | Louis Pasteur | Wolfgang Ernst Pauli | Linus Pauling | Randy Pausch | Ivan Pavlov | Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin | Wilder Penfield | Marguerite Perey | William Perkin | John Philoponus | Jean Piaget | Philippe Pinel | Max Planck | Pliny the Elder | Henri Poincaré | Karl Popper | Beatrix Potter | Joseph Priestley | Proclus | Claudius Ptolemy | Pythagoras

Adolphe Quetelet | Harriet Quimby | Thabit ibn Qurra

C. V. Raman | Srinivasa Ramanujan | William Ramsay | John Ray | Prafulla Chandra Ray | Francesco Redi | Sally Ride | Bernhard Riemann | Wilhelm Röntgen | Hermann Rorschach | Ronald Ross | Ibn Rushd | Ernest Rutherford

Carl Sagan | Abdus Salam | Jonas Salk | Frederick Sanger | Alberto Santos-Dumont | Walter Schottky | Erwin Schrödinger | Theodor Schwann | Glenn Seaborg | Hans Selye | Charles Sherrington | Gene Shoemaker | Ernst Werner von Siemens | George Gaylord Simpson | B. F. Skinner | William Smith | Frederick Soddy | Mary Somerville | Arnold Sommerfeld | Hermann Staudinger | Nicolas Steno | Nettie Stevens | William John Swainson | Leo Szilard

Niccolo Tartaglia | Edward Teller | Nikola Tesla | Thales of Miletus | Theon of Alexandria | Benjamin Thompson | J. J. Thomson | William Thomson | Henry David Thoreau | Kip S. Thorne | Clyde Tombaugh | Susumu Tonegawa | Evangelista Torricelli | Charles Townes | Youyou Tu | Alan Turing | Neil deGrasse Tyson

Harold Urey

Craig Venter | Vladimir Vernadsky | Andreas Vesalius | Rudolf Virchow | Artturi Virtanen | Alessandro Volta

Selman Waksman | George Wald | Alfred Russel Wallace | John Wallis | Ernest Walton | James Watson | James Watt | Alfred Wegener | John Archibald Wheeler | Maurice Wilkins | Thomas Willis | E. O. Wilson | Sven Wingqvist | Sergei Winogradsky | Carl Woese | Friedrich Wöhler | Wilbur and Orville Wright | Wilhelm Wundt

Chen-Ning Yang

Ahmed Zewail

Sorry, there was a problem.

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required .

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

Image Unavailable

• To view this video download Flash Player

Follow the author

Charles Darwin: A Biography, Vol. 1 - Voyaging Paperback – April 1, 1996

• Print length 622 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Princeton University Press
• Publication date April 1, 1996
• Dimensions 6.25 x 1.5 x 9.25 inches
• ISBN-10 0691026068
• ISBN-13 978-0691026060
• See all details

Editorial Reviews

From the back cover.

"I realized that I had never fully understood Fitzroy or Lyell or Dr. Darwin or Emma ... especially Darwin himself. Janet Browne not only makes these historical figures real, three dimensional people, but she shows so elegantly how they affected and interacted with one another. This is not just another biography of Darwin, but a unique and important contribution; it will outlast all others. The scholarship is ... impeccable." --John Tyler Bonner, Princeton University

About the Author

Product details.

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Princeton University Press; First Edition (April 1, 1996)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 622 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0691026068
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0691026060
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.05 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1.5 x 9.25 inches
• #686 in Environmentalist & Naturalist Biographies
• #1,154 in England History
• #1,594 in Scientist Biographies

About the author

Janet browne.

Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more

Customer reviews

• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 5 star 78% 14% 5% 0% 3% 78%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 4 star 78% 14% 5% 0% 3% 14%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 3 star 78% 14% 5% 0% 3% 5%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 2 star 78% 14% 5% 0% 3% 0%
• 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star 1 star 1 star 78% 14% 5% 0% 3% 3%

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Customers say

Customers find the biography well-researched, excellent, and engrossing. They appreciate the clear typography and writing quality. Readers also find the book enjoyable, compelling, and well worth reading.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Customers find the biography well-researched, excellent, and informative. They say it's an engrossing read and every word seems worthwhile. Readers also mention the book is unhurried, thorough, and crammed with insights.

"...She is particularly effective in demonstrating Darwin's scientific methods , how he went about doing his research, keeping his notes, and developing..." Read more

"This is the first half of the most detailed biography of Darwin that is available. Janet Browne was in a unique position to write this book...." Read more

"This is an exhaustive biography , and I am loving every page of it...." Read more

"...But this may be just my predilection however. It is a great theory , and one that would affect much change, not merely in the spheres of Biology..." Read more

Customers find the writing quality of the book very well-written. They appreciate the clear typography and prose that is understandable to general readers without much scientific background. Readers also mention that the book is nicely produced, with fine paper, oversized pages, and clear typographical design.

"...This paperback edition from Pinceton is nicely produced, with fine paper , oversized pages and clear typography--a fine job by Quebecor Printing in..." Read more

"...The book, even with all the details, flows smoothly. The paragraphs are well-structured and (important with so much material) the transitions are..." Read more

"...comment is that the "Origin of Species" is actually a very well written work itself, and recommended as an accompaniment to this fine..." Read more

"...This is a well-written and very well researched book and I found myself amazed at some of the material she had found on Darwin's earlier life,..." Read more

Customers find the book enjoyable, compelling, and well worth reading. They also say the life is presented in an easily comprehendable manner.

"...I have found that reading Browne is just an immeasurably enjoyable experience ...." Read more

"...I found the book enjoyable and a real learning experience. I highly recommend it." Read more

"...Certainly, the book is well worth reading for anyone with more than a passing interest in exactly how the theory of evolution..." Read more

"...Browne explores Darwin's life in the text in an extremely compelling and easily comprehendable manner...." Read more

• Sort reviews by Top reviews Most recent Top reviews

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. please try again later..

Top reviews from other countries

• About Amazon
• Investor Relations
• Amazon Devices
• Amazon Science
• Sell products on Amazon
• Sell on Amazon Business
• Sell apps on Amazon
• Become an Affiliate
• Advertise Your Products
• Self-Publish with Us
• Host an Amazon Hub
• › See More Make Money with Us
• Amazon Business Card
• Shop with Points
• Reload Your Balance
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Amazon and COVID-19
• Your Account
• Your Orders
• Shipping Rates & Policies
• Returns & Replacements
• Manage Your Content and Devices

• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
• Your Ads Privacy Choices

Our websites may use cookies to personalize and enhance your experience. By continuing without changing your cookie settings, you agree to this collection. For more information, please see our University Websites Privacy Notice .

Charles Darwin: A Life in Stories

Darwin’s biography.

The flipbooks below provide information about Charles Darwin’s life. Much of the text of each comes from his correspondence, his diaries, and his autobiography. I am compiling all these flipbooks (except for the “Crossing the Equator” book) into a series of on-line presentations by Mr. Darwin that I have entitled “Revolutionary.” Stay tuned for this as I hope to post those videos soon. The text of the “Crossing the Equator” book comes entirely from Darwin’s beagle diary and describes his experience of a Royal Navy tradition to hold a ceremony to honor the god Neptune when a ship crosses the Equator for the first time during its voyage. It was quite an experience for him and his fellow ship-mates ultimately were relatively nice to him.

Growing up Darwin

Crossing the Equator

Biography of Charles Darwin, Originator of the Theory of Evolution

• Important Historical Figures
• U.S. Presidents
• Native American History
• American Revolution
• America Moves Westward
• The Gilded Age
• Crimes & Disasters
• The Most Important Inventions of the Industrial Revolution
• African American History
• African History
• Ancient History and Culture
• Asian History
• European History
• Latin American History
• Medieval & Renaissance History
• Military History
• The 20th Century
• Women's History

Charles Darwin (February 12, 1809–April 19, 1882) was a naturalist who originated the theory of evolution through the process of natural selection. Darwin holds a unique place in history as the foremost proponent of this theory. While he lived a relatively quiet and studious life, his writings were controversial in their day and still routinely spark controversy.

As an educated young man, he embarked on an astounding voyage of discovery aboard a Royal Navy ship. Strange animals and plants he saw in remote places inspired his deep thinking about how life might have developed. And when he published his masterpiece, " On the Origin of Species ," he profoundly shook up the scientific world. Darwin's influence on modern science is impossible to overstate.

Fast Facts: Charles Darwin

• Known For : Originating the theory of evolution through natural selection
• Born : February 12, 1809 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England
• Parents : Robert Waring Darwin and Susannah Wedgwood
• Died : April 19, 1882 in Downe, Kent, England
• Education : Edinburgh University, Scotland, Cambridge University, England
• Published Works : On the Origin of Species By Means of Natural Selection
• Awards and Honors : Royal Medal, Wallaston Medal, Copley Medal (all for outstanding achievements in the sciences)
• Spouse : Emma Wedgwood
• Children : William Erasmus Darwin, Anne Elizabeth Darwin, Mary Eleanor Darwin, Henrietta Emma Darwin, George Howard Darwin, Elizabeth Darwin, Francis Darwin, Leonard Darwin, Horace Darwin, Charles Waring Darwin
• Notable Quote : “In the struggle for survival, the fittest win out at the expense of their rivals because they succeed in adapting themselves best to their environment.”

Charles Darwin was born on February 12, 1809, in Shrewsbury, England. His father was a medical doctor, and his mother was the daughter of the famous potter Josiah Wedgwood. Darwin’s mother died when he was 8, and he was essentially raised by his older sisters. He was not a brilliant student as a child, but he went on to study at the University of Edinburgh Medical School in Scotland , at first intending to become a doctor.

Darwin took a strong dislike to medical education and eventually studied at Cambridge . He planned to become an Anglican minister before becoming intensely interested in botany. He received a degree in 1831.

Voyage of the Beagle

On the recommendation of a college professor, Darwin was accepted to travel on the second voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle . The ship was embarking on a scientific expedition to South America and islands of the South Pacific, leaving in late December 1831. The Beagle returned to England nearly five years later, in October 1836.

Darwin's position on the ship was peculiar. A former captain of the vessel had become despondent during a long scientific voyage because, it was assumed, he had no intelligent person to converse with while at sea. The British Admiralty thought sending an intelligent young gentleman along on a voyage would serve a combined purpose: he could study and make records of discoveries while also providing intelligent companionship for the captain. Darwin was chosen to go aboard.

Darwin spent more than 500 days at sea and about 1,200 days on land during the trip. He studied plants, animals, fossils, and geological formations and wrote his observations in a series of notebooks. During long periods at sea, he organized his notes.

In the Galapagos

The Beagle spent about five weeks in the Galapagos Islands . During that time, Darwin made a series of observations that had a significant impact on his new theories about natural selection. He was particularly intrigued by his discovery of major differences between species on different islands. He wrote:

The distribution of tenants of this archipelago would not be nearly so wonderful if, for instance, one island has a mocking-thrush and a second island some other quite distinct species... But it is the circumstance that several of the islands possess their own species of tortoise, mocking-thrush, finches, and numerous plants, these species having the same general habits, occupying analogous situations, and obviously filling the same place in the natural economy of this archipelago, that strikes me with wonder.

Darwin visited four of the Galapagos Islands, including Chatham Island (now San Cristobal), Charles (now Floreana), Albemarle, and James (now Santiago). He spent much of his time sketching, collecting specimens, and observing animals and their behavior. His discoveries would change the scientific world and rock the foundations of Western religion.

Early Writings

Three years after returning to England, Darwin published the "Journal of Researches," an account of his observations during the expedition aboard the Beagle. The book was an entertaining account of Darwin's scientific travels and was popular enough to be published in successive editions.

Darwin also edited five volumes titled "Zoology of the Voyage of the Beagle," which contained contributions by other scientists. Darwin himself wrote sections dealing with the distribution of animal species and geological notes on fossils he had seen.

Development of Darwin's Thinking

The voyage on the Beagle was, of course, a highly significant event in Darwin’s life, but his observations on the expedition were hardly the only influence on the development of his theory of natural selection. He was also greatly influenced by what he was reading.

In 1838 Darwin read an "Essay on the Principle of Population," which the British philosopher Thomas Malthus had written 40 years earlier. The ideas of Malthus helped Darwin refine his own notion of “survival of the fittest.”

Darwin's Ideas of Natural Selection

Malthus had been writing about overpopulation and discussed how some members of society were able to survive difficult living conditions. After reading Malthus, Darwin kept collecting scientific samples and data, eventually spending 20 years refining his own thoughts on natural selection.

Darwin married Emma Wedgwood in 1839. Illness prompted him to move from London to the country in 1842. His scientific studies continued, and he spent years studying various lifeforms to better understand their evolutionary processes.

Publication of His Masterpiece

Darwin’s reputation as a naturalist and geologist had grown throughout the 1840s and 1850s, yet he had not revealed his ideas about natural selection widely. Friends urged him to publish them in the late 1850s; it was the publication of an essay by Alfred Russell Wallace expressing similar thoughts that encouraged Darwin to write a book setting out his own ideas.

In July 1858, Darwin and Wallace appeared together at the Linnean Society of London. And in November 1859, Darwin published the book that secured his place in history: "On the Origin of Species By Means of Natural Selection."

"On the Origin of Species" was published in several editions, with Darwin periodically editing and updating material in the book. And while society debated Darwin's work, he lived a quiet life in the English countryside, content to conduct botanical experiments. He was highly respected, regarded as a grand old man of science. He died on April 19, 1882, and was honored by being buried at Westminster Abbey in London .

Charles Darwin was not the first person to propose that plants and animals adapt to circumstances and evolve over eons of time. But Darwin's book put forth his hypothesis in an accessible format and led to controversy. Darwin's theories had an almost immediate impact on religion, science, and society at large.

• “ Charles Darwin: Gentleman Naturalist .” Darwin Online.
• Desmond, Adrian J. “ Charles Darwin .” Encyclopedia Britannica , 8 Feb. 2019.
• Liu, Joseph, and Joseph Liu. “ Darwin and His Theory of Evolution .” Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project, 19 Mar. 2014.
• The Legacy of Darwin's "On the Origin of Species"
• World History Timeline From 1830 to 1840
• Decade by Decade Timeline of the 1800s
• Charles Darwin and His Voyage Aboard H.M.S. Beagle
• Biography of Horace Greeley
• Frederick Douglass: Formerly Enslaved Man and Abolitionist Leader
• Andrew Jackson: Significant Facts and Brief Biography
• John Muir, the "Father of the National Park System"
• Newspaper Sunday
• Timeline from 1800 to 1810
• John Jacob Astor
• Magazines of the 19th Century
• Biography of John Hay, Author and Influential American Diplomat
• Biography of William Jennings Bryan
• 19th Century Locomotive History
• Notable American Inventors of the Industrial Revolution

• NONFICTION BOOKS
• BEST NONFICTION 2023
• BEST NONFICTION 2024
• Historical Biographies
• The Best Memoirs and Autobiographies
• Philosophical Biographies
• World War 2
• World History
• American History
• British History
• Chinese History
• Russian History
• Ancient History (up to c. 500 AD)
• Medieval History (500-1400)
• Military History
• Art History
• Travel Books
• Ancient Philosophy
• Contemporary Philosophy
• Ethics & Moral Philosophy
• Great Philosophers
• Social & Political Philosophy
• Classical Studies
• New Science Books
• Maths & Statistics
• Popular Science
• Physics Books
• Climate Change Books
• How to Write
• English Grammar & Usage
• Books for Learning Languages
• Linguistics
• Political Ideologies
• Foreign Policy & International Relations
• American Politics
• British Politics
• Religious History Books
• Mental Health
• Neuroscience
• Child Psychology
• Film & Cinema
• Opera & Classical Music
• Behavioural Economics
• Development Economics
• Economic History
• Financial Crisis
• World Economies
• Investing Books
• Artificial Intelligence/AI Books
• Data Science Books
• Sex & Sexuality
• Death & Dying
• Food & Cooking
• Sports, Games & Hobbies
• FICTION BOOKS
• BEST NOVELS 2024
• BEST FICTION 2023
• New Literary Fiction
• World Literature
• Literary Criticism
• Literary Figures
• Classic English Literature
• American Literature
• Comics & Graphic Novels
• Fairy Tales & Mythology
• Historical Fiction
• Crime Novels
• Science Fiction
• Short Stories
• South Africa
• United States
• Arctic & Antarctica
• Afghanistan
• Myanmar (Formerly Burma)
• Netherlands
• Kids Recommend Books for Kids
• High School Teachers Recommendations
• Prizewinning Kids' Books
• Popular Series Books for Kids
• BEST BOOKS FOR KIDS (ALL AGES)
• Ages Baby-2
• Books for Teens and Young Adults
• THE BEST SCIENCE BOOKS FOR KIDS
• BEST KIDS' BOOKS OF 2024
• BEST BOOKS FOR TEENS OF 2024
• Best Audiobooks for Kids
• Environment
• Best Books for Teens of 2024
• Best Kids' Books of 2024
• Mystery & Crime
• Travel Writing
• New History Books
• New Historical Fiction
• New Biography
• New Memoirs
• New World Literature
• New Economics Books
• New Climate Books
• New Math Books
• New Philosophy Books
• New Psychology Books
• New Physics Books
• THE BEST AUDIOBOOKS
• Actors Read Great Books
• Books Narrated by Their Authors
• Best Audiobook Thrillers
• Best History Audiobooks
• Nobel Literature Prize
• Booker Prize (fiction)
• Baillie Gifford Prize (nonfiction)
• Financial Times (nonfiction)
• Wolfson Prize (history)
• Royal Society (science)
• Pushkin House Prize (Russia)
• Walter Scott Prize (historical fiction)
• Arthur C Clarke Prize (sci fi)
• The Hugos (sci fi & fantasy)
• Audie Awards (audiobooks)

Books by Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin (1809-1882) was an English naturalist whose best-known book, On the Origin of Species (1859) underpins much of modern thought on how life on Earth developed into the variety of species we have today. Rather than a divine designer, Darwin argued that it was evolution by natural selection that created creatures so seemingly well-adapted to their environment. According to evolutionary biologist Jerry Coyne, On the Origin of Species is a book “you have to have read if you want to be considered an educated person.” However, Charles Darwin wrote more than 50 books and some of his others have also been recommended on Five Books :

(NB An excellent biography of Darwin has also been highlighted on Five Books ).

Voyage of the Beagle

By charles darwin.

Read expert recommendations

“It’s a fun read about a young man on an expedition finding things out. It’s as much about the journey as it is about evolution, but you can hear the idea gestating, the beginnings of the most amazing idea ever…this is about the process of science, about him using his brain, the creative imaginative bit of science where he’s wondering why these fossils are here on top of the Andes. He sees Valparaiso destroyed by an earthquake erupting and is horrified by the brutality of nature – it’s as much a travelogue as anything else, but you can see how his mind is beginning to work. I wish I’d read it when I was younger – I’d have gone off a similar journey if I had…It’s full of anecdotes and humour. I mean, he’s aware that he is an academic, and there are long passages about shale beds and geological formations that a travel writer might have left out, but he describes the meals he ate and the people he meets. You really get a feeling of his enthusiasm. It rips along.” Read more...

The best books on Being Inspired by Science

Tom Clarke , Journalist

On the Origin of Species

By charles darwin & james costa.

🏆  A Five Books Most Recommended Book

“An educated person is someone who knows at least a little bit about the major disciplines in human endeavour. And in biology, this is what you need to know – not only historically but also contemporaneously, because Darwin was right, and still is right, about so many things.” Read more...

The best books on Evolution

Jerry Coyne , Biologist

The Descent of Man

“I like The Descent of Man better than The Origin of Species because Darwin is prepared to be much bolder in The Descent of Man . In The Origin of Species he was still a little bit timid. He presents the idea of how species develop, and that is what we now refer to as evolution. But he didn’t apply it to humans. He really didn’t dare to say that we humans developed from other apes just as horses, for example, developed from early proto-horses. He didn’t use the term ‘evolution’ anywhere in the original editions of The Origin of Species . He does use it in later editions, but that’s around the time when The Descent of Man is published.” Read more...

The Best Nineteenth-Century Philosophy Books

Peter Singer , Philosopher

Evolutionary Writings: Including the Autobiographies

Charles Darwin wrote his autobiography in a matter of months, and it was published after his death in 1887. This edition from Oxford World Classics also includes nice selections from his other writings, as well as responses to his work from around the world.

The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals

“The sense of continuity between people and other animals underlies everything that Darwin ever wrote. He doesn’t address it explicitly in On the Origin of Species but it’s the focus of the The Descent of Man . The Expressions of Emotion in Man and Animals addresses the set of human characteristics that are most likely to be fixed on by people who wish to emphasise the distinction between people and other animals…Darwin’s books sold very well… The Expressions of Emotion in Man and Animals is shorter and has pictures of people and animals expressing different emotional states.” Read more...

The best books on The History of Human Interaction With Animals

Harriet Ritvo , Historian

The Formation of Vegetable Mould through the Action of Worms with Observations on their Habits

“It’s a wonderful Victorian title. Of course his most famous book is On The Origin of Species and that is actually rather hard work because he was desperately trying to persuade people of his thesis and he collected an absolute mountain of data and you had to wade through this stuff. But he was actually rather a good writer if he was able to let his hair down. His account of the Voyage of the Beagle is lovely. It is a sort of travel book full of derring-do and wonderful adventures. But I love this book about earthworms, which wasn’t published until 1896, because it just shows what a lovely naturalist he was. Let me read you one paragraph from page 26 on the observations and habits of worms: ‘Worms do not posses any sense of hearing. They took not the least notice of the shrill of a metal whistle which was repeatedly sounded near them. Nor did they hear the deepest and loudest tones of a bassoon. They were indifferent to shouts if care was taken that the breath did not strike them. When placed on a table near a piano which was played as loudly as possible they remained perfectly quiet.’ But he goes on to say that if you put them on the piano they jumped like mad because they could feel the vibrations.” Read more...

The best books on Popular Science

Adam Hart-Davis , Broadcaster

Interviews where books by Charles Darwin were recommended

The best books on popular science , recommended by adam hart-davis, micrographia: the complete facsimile of the first printing of 1665 by robert hooke, stonehenge decoded by gerald s hawkins, a brief history of time by stephen hawking, the double helix by james watson, the formation of vegetable mould through the action of worms with observations on their habits by charles darwin.

Adam Hart-Davis says clear simple writing is the key to an accessible science book. Selects the five books he believes offer the best introduction to Popular Science. Includes works from Darwin, Watson and Hawking

The best books on The History of Human Interaction With Animals , recommended by Harriet Ritvo

The expression of emotions in man and animals by charles darwin, primate visions: gender, race, and nature in the world of modern science by donna j haraway, savages and beasts: the birth of the modern zoo by nigel rothfels, dolly mixtures: the remaking of genealogy by sarah franklin, beastly natures: animals, humans, and the study of history by dorothee brantz.

Animals have played a significant role in human history, and the manner by which we interpret their behaviour says a lot about our own culture and social mores. Harriet Ritvo, professor of history at MIT, selects five of the best books from the field of animal history.

The Best Nineteenth-Century Philosophy Books , recommended by Peter Singer

Phenomenology of spirit by a. v. miller & g. w. f. hegel, the communist manifesto by friedrich engels & karl marx, on liberty by john stuart mill, the descent of man by charles darwin, the methods of ethics by henry sidgwick.

The nineteenth century saw not only a widespread interest in philosophical ideas but also philosophy’s development as a more rigorous discipline. Australian philosopher Peter Singer introduces us to the highlights of a century of philosophy books.

The Best Books for Growing up in the Anthropocene , recommended by Caspar Henderson

Natural history by pliny the elder, the deep: the extraordinary creatures of the abyss by claire nouvian, storms of my grandchildren by james hanson, the techno-human condition by braden allenby and daniel sarewitz.

Welcome to life in the Anthropocene, a new epoch in the history of life where the impact of humanity on the Earth system is so great, we need a new term for it. Author and journalist Caspar Henderson offers a rich reading list to help ourselves and our children grow up in the Anthropocene.

The best books on Evolution , recommended by Jerry Coyne

On the origin of species by charles darwin & james costa, charles darwin: voyaging by janet browne, the blind watchmaker by richard dawkins, the mismeasure of man by stephen jay gould, evolution: what the fossils say and why it matters by donald prothero.

Evolutionary biologist Jerry Coyne tells us why Darwin is still essential reading and sifts the vast amount of more recent writing on evolution for books that are both inspiring to scientists and accessible to general readers. He picks the best books on evolution.

Favourite Science Books , recommended by Mark Kurlansky

On human nature by edward o. wilson, the whale by philip hoare, the sound of a wild snail eating by elisabeth tova bailey, the elegant universe by brian greene.

The bestselling author of Cod and Salt tells us about five science books he loves—from whales and snails to evolution and string theory—all of which make difficult subjects accessible

The best books on Prehistory , recommended by Tim White

Voyage of the beagle by charles darwin, the journals of lewis and clark by bernard devoto (editor), the first human by ann gibbons, missing links by john reader.

Paleoanthropologist Tim White tells us about his work investigating the origins of homo sapiens and explains what a 4.4 million-year-old skeleton he found in Africa tells us about our common past.

The best books on Earth History , recommended by Adam Maloof

The sheltering desert by henno martin, cosmicomics by italo calvino, rare earth by peter ward and don brownlee, chaos by james gleick.

Just as no one can study political science without a basic understanding of human history, or study a modern animal without a basic understanding of evolution, so no one can understand climate change without understanding the Earth’s history, argues the Princeton geology professor.

The best books on Ideas that Matter , recommended by A C Grayling

The nicomachean ethics by aristotle, critique of pure reason by immanuel kant, pride and prejudice (book) by jane austen, table-talk, essays on men and manners by william hazlit.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, intellectuals engaged in the ‘great conversation,’ a debate about ideas, politics, and beliefs, says British philosopher A C Grayling, author of Ideas That Matter . He picks out five books on ideas about how we live our lives and how we view the world, from Aristotle to Charles Darwin.

The best books on Being Inspired by Science , recommended by Tom Clarke

The making of the atomic bomb by richard rhodes, the log from the sea of cortez by john steinbeck.

The Science Correspondent for the Uk’s Channel 4 discusses the magical allure of science. He chooses five great books on subjects ranging from genetics to natural history and astro-physics

Evolutionary Writings: Including the Autobiographies by Charles Darwin

We ask experts to recommend the five best books in their subject and explain their selection in an interview.

This site has an archive of more than one thousand seven hundred interviews, or eight thousand book recommendations. We publish at least two new interviews per week.

Five Books participates in the Amazon Associate program and earns money from qualifying purchases.

© Five Books 2024

Charles Darwin Biography

Charles Darwin was the preeminent naturalist of the nineteenth century. His theories on evolution by natural selection created the basis for all modern studies on evolution. He was born Charles Robert Darwin on February 12, 1809, in Shrewsbury, Shropshire England. Charles Darwin was the second son of Susannah Wedgwood and Robert Waring Darwin. The couple also had three sisters older than Charles. Robert Darwin was a doctor and Susannah the daughter of Josiah Wedgwood, an early Unitarian and pottery industrialist. Robert Darwin's father, Charles' grandfather, Erasmus Darwin, was a doctor and poet who authored Zoonomia; or the Laws of Organic Life, in 1794. When Charles Darwin was eight his mother died and his three older sisters became his primary caregivers. He displayed a keen interest in medicine, science, and psychology and was inspired by his father's observation of medicine in everyday life. He did not enjoy his very traditional schooling however, where he was taught the Classics and discouraged from studying science and chemistry. Because of his interest in chemistry and sciences Darwin was ridiculed in school by students and the headmaster and given the nickname of "Gas." His distinguished father, possibly falsely convinced his son was not committed to his studies by accounts of the headmaster, enrolled Darwin at Edinburgh University to study medicine in 1825. At the time Edinburgh offered the most forward-thinking education in science of any university in Britain. Among his studies were extensive chemistry lessons and studies of natural science. Perhaps most impactful to Darwin's education at Edinburgh were the freethinking lecturers the university attracted. They were often banned from speaking at traditional universities like Oxford and Cambridge. While those universities refused to separate themselves from science grounded in Anglicanism, these dissenters challenged the religious stronghold over science in areas like anatomy and mental processes of both humans and animals. Charles was encouraged to understand primitive creatures like invertebrates which inspired him to contemplate the origin of all species. Darwin's father observed that though his son was studying medicine, he could not stomach surgery and was uninterested in human anatomy. Fearing that his son would become aimless without being able to dedicate himself to medicine, in 1828 he transferred Darwin to Christ's College in Cambridge. This education was in stark contrast to Edinburgh and Darwin was treated as a young Anglican gentleman. He engaged in common social activities like drinking and shooting. He studied botany under Reverend John Stevens Henslow and went on his first expedition to Wales with Reverend Adam Sedgwick in 1831. Inspired by accounts of expeditions in South America, Darwin found a place for himself as a naturalist on board the HMS Beagle. The ship was commanded by Robert Fitzroy, a young aristocrat who did not want to sail by himself but planned to do a coastal land survey of Patagonia and also return three "savages" from Tierra del Fuego to their homeland. Darwin brought his books, weapons, and a newly acquired skill set for preservation of animal carcasses. The journey was long and arduous, but Darwin as a self-financed naturalist was able to leave the ship for long periods of time to attend to his other interests. He was fascinated by the vastness of the ocean and its creatures and observed the geologic features of the coast line. Darwin's time onboard and off was very solitary and he was disgusted by the slavery and genocide by battle he observed during his time in South America. He often left heavily populated areas to explore the Rio de Janeiro rainforests and their insect inhabitants. Another labor of love Darwin pursued during this expedition was a large-scale excavation of multiple different extinct mammal bones, which began his contemplation of why these animals did in fact go extinct. His observations on geological features led to his assumption that the land had risen above the sea in many areas and prompted thought the vast time span the earth and its creatures had witnessed. When Fitzroy and Darwin returned he had completed a 770 page diary detailing his notes and sketches, but had more questions about evolution that he had left with. The diary had been published and led to a grant obtained from the Treasury that allowed him to enlist experts on zoology for a series of collaborative papers from 1838-1843 that described his animal specimens, published as Zoology of the Voyage of the H.M.S. Beagle. Darwin became well known and sought to reckon his religious beliefs with what he had observed from both animal and human societal norms like slavery. Darwin was influenced by Thomas Malmuth's Essay on the Principle of Population. The economic paper from 1838 led to a series of poor laws that sought to reduce overpopulation. Darwin applied some of these principles for humanity to what he had observed in the wild and created his own mechanism called "natural selection." He created a 35 page sketch of his theory but did not immediately try to publish it, partially because he had seen from his wife, Emma Wedgwood, a kind of horror when he had tried to convey his theories on evolution. Darwin moved himself and his family to the village of Downe which felt very isolated from society. He continued his study and published works on coral reefs, botany, insects and geology, but largely tried to stay out of the public eye and did not confess his theory of evolution to many, fearing it to be akin to confessing a sin. Considering the persecution of Atheists by Anglican laws, this was not a far-fetched fear, though Darwin still maintained a belief in God as the almighty creator. Darwin solidified his role as a prominent resource on biological principles after a groundbreaking study on barnacles that revealed hermaphroditic traits and further sparked his interest in the difference between female and male form. As time and society progressed the stage was set for more acceptance of Darwin's theories and Darwin lost much belief in God after his daughter's death. Series of further studies on artificial breeding and production were rounding out his theory and providing a strategy on how to present it. He felt greater haste to complete a publication when confronted with Alfred Russel Wallace's letter and sketches that seemed to indicate similar theories to his own. Darwin published On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection in 1859 with tremendous personal anxiety as to how it would be received. The reception was not as disastrous as he anticipated and Cambridge folk were beginning to accept scientific realities while dissenters greatly embraced his theories. Three reviews of his studies were published and in 1864, supported by Alfred Huxley, Darwin received the Copley Medal from the Royal Society. The 1860s found Darwin in ever-declining health and his wife Emma caring for him and their remaining children. He published six editions of On the Origin of Species during this time period and attempted to defend and move around criticisms by tying in his knowledge of botany and bees to prove natural selection. As natural selection became widely accepted, Darwin plowed forward into an analysis of morality and traits of the human race entitled The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex in 1871. His work on facial expression, The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, from 1872, sought to disprove the Divine belief in facial structure. By the end of his life, Darwin was hailed for his scientific contributions and shielded from intense criticism by friends like Huxley. By the 1880s he was in very poor heath and he died on April 19th, 1882. His burial in the town of Downe was perceived as too low-brow, and with Huxley's persuasion Darwin's body was buried at Westminster Abbey.

Advertisement

Supported by

Children’s Books

The Darwins’ Prenup

• Share full article

By Bruce Barcott

• May 6, 2009

Charles Darwin was nothing if not methodical. In the summer of 1838, two years after his round-the-world journey on the Beagle, the 29-year-old naturalist drew a line down the center of a sheet of paper. Topping one column, he wrote “Marry.” On the other, “Not Marry.” In the middle, he wrote “This is the Question.”

Among the benefits of marriage: companionship, children and “charms of music & female chit-chat.” The drawbacks: loss of freedom, adventure and time to pursue his scientific work (all that chit-chat). His famous conclusion? “Marry — Marry — Marry Q.E.D.” Quod erat demonstrandum: Thus it is proved.

It wasn’t quite so simple as that, though, as Deborah Heiligman reveals in “Charles and Emma,” a delightful book about the question at the heart of the Darwins’ marriage. Even before he wooed and wed the charming Emma Wedgwood, Darwin suspected that his growing religious doubts, fed by scientific discoveries that seemed to disprove the biblical creation story, might dash his chances for matrimonial harmony. “He knew that these doubts and his revolutionary thoughts about transmutation” — what we know as evolution — “and the creation of species would stand in his way of finding a wife,” Heiligman writes. “Most women were believers and wanted their husbands to be believers, too.”

The issue was especially close to the heart of his intended fiancée. Emma’s beloved sister Fanny had died young, and Emma believed that leading a good Christian life would allow her to reunite with Fanny in heaven. The idea of being parted from her husband — for he, as a nonbeliever, would be heading south after death — might be too much for her to bear.

Darwin went to his father for advice. “Conceal your doubts!” Dad said.

The son, as sons are wont to do, heard Dad’s advice and promptly did the opposite. In a fireside chat, he revealed all. Emma, the sharp-minded daughter of progressive, free-thinking parents, didn’t see it as a deal breaker. She wouldn’t insist on word-for-word biblical belief, she told Charles, just an openness to the love of Jesus. That, he could live with. Thus began an extraordinary marriage, one bound together by love, respect and a shared lifelong struggle with the question of God.

One of the pleasures of “Charles and Emma” comes in watching Darwin, giant of science, grapple with the mundane challenges of marriage and day-to-day life. One day he’s discovering a key to the evolution of species in the beak of a finch, the next he’s buying a house and removing a dead dog from the backyard. When Charles mentions that he and a friend might wish to dine every evening at London’s Athenaeum Club, his fiancée lets him know that if he plans to hit the clubs with his “excellent steady old friends” every night, he’s got another think coming.

Theirs was a happy marriage built on compromise. He was tidy, she was not. Charles often walked the family to church but didn’t go in, preferring to stroll around the village while Emma and the children prayed. When the Darwins suffered the heartbreaking death of two children (they had 10 in total), Emma never read their suffering as punishment for her husband’s lack of faith.

In today’s climate of division between religion and science, it’s instructive to read about a marriage in which the two cultures improved each for exposure to the other. Heiligman’s most revealing insight comes near the end of the book, as Darwin, having developed his ideas in private for 20-some years, spends a feverish 13 months writing them up in “The Origin of Species.” Without Emma, he might well have written a combative, antireligious treatise — “The God Delusion” of his day. Instead, his experience with his wife’s tolerant, reasonable brand of faith led him to temper his tone.

“Had he spent more time with free-thinking, liberal intellectuals and less time sitting on the sofa with Emma,” Heiligman writes, “perhaps then he would not have been quite so conciliatory and conservative in his writing of the book.” Emma acted as her husband’s first reader and toughest editor. As she read the manuscript, “there were parts that made her cringe; passages that she worried would move people farther away from God,” Heiligman writes. “But she only criticized the argument to help Charles spell it out more clearly.”

Though the church didn’t exactly embrace Darwin’s radical ideas, the clarity of his arguments and his evenhanded tone disarmed critics who would dismiss his book as the ranting of a heretic. Thanks to Emma, the theory of evolution would have to be challenged on evidence and logic alone.

A final note: To mark this year’s 150th anniversary of the publication of “The Origin of Species,” a raft of Darwin titles are on their way to bookstores. My two old favorites, David Quamman’s “Reluctant Mr. Darwin” and Jonathan Weiner’s “Beak of the Finch” (written by Deborah Heiligman’s husband), are a bit beyond my 7-year-old son’s reading level, but “Animals Charles Darwin Saw” is a wonderful picture-book introduction to Darwin and his dangerous ideas. Sandra Markle tells Darwin’s story in clear prose spiced with interesting vignettes (like the time young Charles stored a bombardier beetle in his mouth — bad idea), and Zina Saunders brings the scenes alive with colorful woodcut illustrations. My favorite line: “Sometimes the idea of evolution still makes people angry.” Kids, you don’t know the half of it.

CHARLES AND EMMA

The darwins’ leap of faith.

By Deborah Heiligman

Illustrated. 268 pp. Henry Holt & Company. $18.95. (Ages 12 and up)

ANIMALS CHARLES DARWIN SAW

An around-the-world adventure.

By Sandra Markle

Illustrated by Zina Saunders

45 pp. Chronicle Books. $16.99. (Ages 7 to 10)

A bibliographical note on Page 13 of the Book Review this weekend about “Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith,” by Deborah Heiligman, misstates the age range of the book’s intended readers. It is 12 and up, not 9 to 12.

How we handle corrections

Bruce Barcott is the author of “The Last Flight of the Scarlet Macaw.”