| 1809 |
Charles Robert Darwin is born at The Mount in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England on February 12, the same day as Abraham Lincoln. |
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| 1817 |
Darwin’s mother, Susannah, dies when he is eight years old. |
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| 1825 |
Darwin’s father removes Charles from Shrewsbury Grammar School due to his poor progress and sends him to Edinburgh University. He later castigates his son, saying “You care for nothing but shooting, dogs, and rat-catching, and you will be a disgrace to yourself and all your family.” |
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| 1831-1836 |
Darwin makes major natural history collections as he travels around the world as the ship’s naturalist aboard the HMS Beagle.
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| 1835-1836 |
Pondering variations among Galapagos mockingbirds, Darwin first considers the evolution of species, writing in his notebook, “If there is the slightest foundation for these remarks the zoology of Archipelagoes-will be well worth examining; for such facts (would) undermine the stability of Species.” |
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| 1837 |
Darwin draws a simple evolutionary tree in one of his notebooks below the words “I think”
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| 1838-1839 |
Darwin develops his theory of natural selection. |
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| 1839 |
Darwin marries cousin Emma Wedgwood; they have two children in London. Eventually, they will have ten children.
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| 1842 |
Darwin writes first Sketch of his evolutionary theory
Darwin moves to Down House southwest of London, where he lives the last 40 years of his life.
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| 1844 |
Darwin secretly writes a landmark essay on evolution by natural selection and instructs his wife to go ahead and have it published in the event of his death
Darwin writes botanist Joseph Hooker telling him of his evolutionary ideas, saying it is “like confessing a murder”
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| 1851 |
Darwin’s first daughter, Annie Elizabeth, dies at the age of ten, likely from tuberculosis.
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| 1858 |
Darwin receives a letter from a young naturalist, Alfred Russel Wallace, who has independently arrived at a theory of natural selection that is nearly identical to his own.
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| 1858 |
Both Darwin’s and Wallace’s theories are presented before the Linnaean Society.
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| 1859 |
Charles Darwin publishes On the Origin of Species, putting forward his theory of evolution by natural selection. |
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| 1860 |
Based on his belief in special creation, Bishop Samuel Wilberforce leads an attack on Darwin’s theory at a meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, held at Oxford University Museum. Two of England’s most influential scientists, Thomas Huxley and Joseph Hooker, fiercely support Darwin’s work. Both sides claim victory.
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| 1871 |
Darwin’s The Descent of Man is published which explicitly applies evolution to humans.
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| 1882 |
Charles Darwin dies and is buried with honor in Westminster Abbey, a few feet away from Sir Isaac Newton. Darwin’s funeral is attended by England’s leading politicians, scientists, and clergy .
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