Charles Robert Darwin (February 12, 1809 – April 19, 1882) is best remembered for proposing and providing evidence of “natural selection,” the idea that all species of life have evolved from common ancestors. Darwin’s scientific discoveries, in a modified form, remain the basis for the foundation of biology.

Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England to Robert Darwin, a wealthy doctor and financier. His mother, Susannah, died when he was eight years old. During his teenage years, he worked alongside his father as an apprentice doctor, helping his father treat the poor of Shropshire. He enrolled at the University of Edinburgh to study medicine, but was repulsed by the brutality of surgery and neglected his studies. He instead focused on natural history and geology, which displeased his father who thought this field held no financial security. His father enrolled him in Christ’s College in Cambridge in hopes of getting Darwin to qualify as a clergyman. Instead of landing a paying position, Darwin embarked on a two year voyage on the HMS Beagle as an unpaid companion.

Darwin’s expedition on the HMS Beagle was to be a two year stint; it turned into a five year study of the South American coastline. During his time there, Darwin kept a journal with his theories of evolution. He captured specimens of his findings and sent these, along with letters of explanation, back to Cambridge. All of this established his reputation as a naturalist. His copious notes showed his gift for theorizing and also formed the foundation for his later work. He published The Origin of Species in 1859 after years of work.

The Origin of Species basically argues that the development of species occurs primarily because among the set of heretable traits, the ones that most aid an organism in surviving and procreating become more common with each generation. Darwin’s second work was published in 1871. The Descent of Man addresses the role of evolutionary principles in the human species, rejecting the racist notion that different “races” of man were separate species (a popular idea among supporters of slavery and imperialism, who argued that blacks and American Indians were as different from “white humans” as sheep were from wolves), emphasizing the role of sex in natural selection (the more attractive you are to a potential partner, the better your chances of passing on your genes), and dealing extensively with what is now called evolutionary psychology: the role of evolution in the history and development of the human brain.

For more insight into the works of Darwin, read the exclusive interview with Michael Ruse on Charles Darwin: Evolution Is No Monkey Business. And as always, don’t forget to check out the Simply Darwin Writings and the Simply Darwin Store! If you have any questions that you need answers to, check out the Simply Darwin Forum. 

Happy learning!