Hobbies And Interests
Birth in 1809
Charles Robert Darwin was born in the English town of Shrewsbury on February 12, 1809. As a child, he became interested in nature and started to collect plants and insects in fields near his home.
Medical Studies
Darwin enrolled as a medical student at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland in 1825. However, the experience of seeing a surgical operation on a child who had not been anesthetized so upset him that he gave up his medical studies before he had completed his degree.
Theological Studies at the University of Cambridge
Darwin moved south and began academic studies in theology at Christ's College in the University of Cambridge, England in 1828. He graduated in 1831. While at Cambridge, he continued to develop his interest in science and collected beetles.
Plans to Become a Priest
Darwin's father planned for the young Charles to join the Church of England as a priest after his graduation. Darwin was content with this career choice at he felt it would allow him the spare time to further his growing interest in science.
Five-Year Voyage on HMS Beagle
Darwin received an invitation, through a recommendation from his Cambridge professor, John Stevens Henslow, to join a five-year voyage on a British survey ship, H.M.S. Beagle. His role was to be the ship's naturalist and a gentleman companion to the ship's captain, Robert Fitzroy. The ship set sail for South America in 1831 and returned to England in 1836.
The Galapagos Islands and His Theory of Natural Selection
During his voyage on H.M.S. Beagle, Darwin visited the Galapagos Islands, west of South America. He noticed that a bird, the finch, had developed to suit the feeding opportunities on each of the islands, so that on some islands the finches' beaks were suited to eating insects while on others the birds' beaks were better able to eat seeds. From this, he concluded that the finches of the Galapagos had evolved to suit their environment. This evidence shaped his theory of natural selection.
His Book "The Origin of Species" a Controversial Bestseller
Darwin published his theory that creatures evolve through natural selection in 1859 in a book entitled "The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection." The book outraged many in the Church of England since they believed it contradicted the account of creation given in The Bible. However, despite this opposition, it became a bestseller.
His Views on Human Evolution
The publication in 1871 of Darwin's book, "The Descent of Man," caused greater disagreement by suggesting humans were more closely related to animals than people had previously thought. The book put forward Darwin's view that humans had evolved from apes, a view that outraged some religious leaders. Certain cartoons of the time made fun of his views.
Effect of Ill health on His Work
In the 1860s Darwin started seriously suffering from bad health which prevented him from traveling. Because of this, he turned to conducting research into plants, particularly orchids, which he could do at his home, Down House, at Downe in Kent. In particular, he studied the ways in which insects influence the fertilization of plants.
Death in 1882
Charles Darwin died on April 19, 1882 at his home, Down House, in Kent, England. Despite his agnostic religious views, he was buried in Westminster Abbey, London.