Tetraclita squamosa © Diana Jones 2009

Childhood and college1809 February12-CharlesRobertDarwinisbornin

Shrewsbury,Shropshire,England.

1817 Charlesbeginsschool.

1822 CharlesandhisbrotherErasmussetupachemistrylabinthegardentoolshed.

1825 Charlesistakenoutofschoolduetohispoorgradesand‘caringfornothingotherthanshootingbirds,playingwithdogsandcatchingrats’.HebeginsstudyingmedicineattheUniversityofEdinburghinScotland,learnstheskillsoftaxidermyandhearsaboutthetropicalrainforestsofSouthAmericafromfreedslaveJohnEdmondstone.

1825 CharlesquitsmedicalschoolandbeginsstudyingfortheclergyatChrist’sCollege,Cambridge.

1828 CharlesmeetsReverendJohnStevensHenslow,ProfessorofBotanyatCambridge,startsattendinghislecturesandbecomesaddictedtonaturalhistory.

1830 Charlesdecidestobecomeacountryclergyman/naturalistlikeHenslow.Hespendshisholidayscollectingbeetlesandflyfishing.

The Beagle voyage1831 Charlespasseshisfinalexamswithgoodresultsand

becomesthenaturalistaboardH.M.S.Beagle.

1832 CharlesexplorestheEasternsideofSouthAmericaandsendsoffthefirsttwoofmanyshipmentsofspecimenstoHenslowinCambridge.

1833 Charles’fossilobservationsattheFalklandIslandsleadhimtodecideto‘compare’allfossil,plantandanimalspecimenshecollectsthroughoutthevoyage.

1835 Charles’experienceofamassiveearthquakeandrisingareasoflandatValdivia,Chile,provideshimwithdirectevidencesupportingCharlesLyell’stheorythatlandmassesriseveryslowlyoververylongtimespans.Charles,hisoffsiderSamuelCovingtonandtheBeaglecaptain,RobertFitzRoy,collectspecimensfromtheGalapagosIslandsthatwillbecrucialtotheformulationofhistheoryofevolutionbynaturalselection.

1836 CharlesvisitsNewSouthWales,TasmaniaandWesternAustraliaandissofascinatedbysomeoftheanimalshesees(e.g.theplatypus),thatheremarkstheremusthavebeenaseparatecreatorjustfortheseoddcreatures.TheBeaglefinallyreturnstoEngland.

Post Beagle and marriage1837 Charleslearnsthatthespecimensof‘finches’,

‘blackbirds’,‘wrens’and‘grossbeaks’collectedattheGalapagosareactuallyallspeciesoffinches.Hebeginstodeveloptheoriesforhownewspeciescomeintoexistence.

1838 Charlesdevelopstheideathatnaturalselectionisnotinfluencedbydivineinterventionbut,duetoaconcernforhisreputationandthefeelingsofhisfuturewife,EmmaWedgewood,decidestokeepthistohimself.

1839 CharlesmarriesEmmaWedgewood.Laterthisyear,theirfirstchild,William,isborn.Charlesbeginsbarragingfarmersandanimalbreederswithquestionsaboutspeciesvariationandinheritance.HisstoryoftheBeaglevoyageispublishedandsellswell.

1840 CharlesisplaguedbyillnessthatbeganduringtheBeaglevoyageandthatistoplaguehimallhislife.

1841 Charles’andEmma’sdaughterAnneisborn.

1842 PartoneofCharles’bookThe Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefsispublished.Hewritesa

roughdraftofhistheoryoftheoriginofspecies.HemovesfromLondonto

DownHouseinKent,whereheandEmmawilllivefortherest

oftheirlives.HisdaughterMaryisbornbutdiesafew

weekslater.HebeginswritingParttwoof

hisGeologicalObservations

seriesVolcanic Islands.

Early research1843 Charles’andEmma’sdaughterHenriettaisbornand

hisfivevolumebookoftheZoology of the Beagle Voyageiscompleted.

1844 CharlesconfideshistheoriesofevolutiontothebotanistJosephHookerandwritestohiswifethat,intheeventofhisdeath,sheputasidefourhundredpoundsforthepublicationofthistheory.

1845 CharlesandEmmahaveanotherson,George.HookerbecomesaregularvisitortoDownHousewherehediscussesthegeographicaldistributionofplants.

1846 CharlescompleteshisbookGeological Observations on South Americaandbeginshiseight-yearbarnacleresearchprojecttoestablishhimselfasanexpertonspeciesvariation.

1847 Charles’healthisnowcontinuouslypoor.HegetsfeedbackfromHookeronhisbookOn the Origin of Species.Anotherdaughter,Elizabeth,isborn.

1848 CharlesandEmmahaveanotherson,Francis.

1849 Darwincontinueshisresearchonbarnaclespecimenshehasreceivedfromnaturalistsaroundtheworld.

1850 CharlesandEmmahaveanotherson,Leonard.Charles’daughterAnnebeginstofeelsickandCharlesworriesthatshemighthaveinheritedhisillness.

1851 Anne’sillnessbecomeworseandshedies.Charlesisdevastated.Anotherson,Horace,isborn.

1852 Charlesspendstheyearonhisbarnacleresearch.

1853 CharlesreceivesthehighestaccoladetheRoyalSocietyofLondonfortheImprovementofNaturalKnowledgecanbestow—theRoyalMedal—forhisthree-volumeworkonthegeologyoftheBeaglevoyageandforhisbarnacleresearch.

1854 Charlesworksoutthatcompetitionisadrivingforcethatcausesnewspeciestoarise.

1855 Charlespaysattentiontothespreadofspecies,particularlyonislandsliketheGalapagos,andgathersevidenceforhisideathatplantsandanimalscanspreadacrossbodiesofwaterby‘floating’.Heobtainsfurtherevidenceofspeciesvariationbybecomingapigeonbreeder.

1856 CharlesreadsapaperfromnaturalistAlfredWallace—On the Law which has Regulated the Introduction of New Species.Althoughitcontainsideassimilartosomeofhisown,heisnotimpressed.CharlesandEmmahaveanotherson,Charles.

1857 CharlessendsashortversionofhistheoryofnaturalselectiontoAsaGray,professorofNaturalHistoryatHarvardUniversity.HerepliestoaletterfromAlfredWallacestatingthathehasbeenworkingontheproblemofspeciesoriginsfortwentyyears,butisnotreadytopublish.

1858 CharlesreceivesapaperfromAlfredWallaceontheoriginofspecies.Itisverysimilartothetheoryhehasbeenworkingonforovertwentyyears.HissonCharlesdies.Toamixedreactionofshock,excitementandstunnedsilence,Darwin’sandWallace’spapersonthemeansofnaturalselectionarereadatameetingoftheLinneanSocietyinLondon.

1859 Charles’bookOn the Origin of Speciesisfinallypublished.

Post On the Origin of Species events1861 Charlesnotices,whileonholidays,thatonlyparticular

insectspollinateonevarietyoforchid.Hebeginstostudyhowthepetaldesignsoforchidsattractbeesandmothsandhowthisrelationshipmighthaveevolved.Justtwoyearsafteritsoriginalpublication,hisbookOn the Origin of SpeciesisnowavailableinGerman,FrenchandDutch.

1863 Charleshadthoughtthattransitionalfossilswouldbefoundthatwouldprovidefurtherevidenceforhistheoryandinthisyearthelizard-birdfossilArchaeopteryxisdiscovered.Itisbird-likebutwithteethandabonytailfoundonlyinlizards.HisbookOn the Origin of SpeciesistranslatedintoItalian.

1864 CharlespublisheshisbookThe Movement and Habits of Climbing Plants.HeisawardedtheCopleyMedalbytheRoyalSociety.

1867 Charlesdecidestopublishhisbookonsexualselectionintwoparts—Descent of ManandSelection in Relation to Sex.HistheoryofevolutionisnowestablishedinmostofEurope.

1871 Charles’bookDescent of Manispublished.

1872 Charles’bookThe Expressions of the Emotions in Man and Animalsispublished.

1875Charles’bookInsectivorous Plantsispublished.

1876Charlesfinisheshisautobiography.HeandEmmabecomegrandparentsforthefirsttimebuttheirdaughter–in-law,AmyRuck,diesafewdaysafterthebirthofthechild.

1877 CharlesreceivesanhonoraryDoctorateofLawfromCambridgeUniversity.

1878 Charles’biographyofhisgrandfather,Erasmus Darwin,ispublished.

1881 Charles’The formation of vegetable mould, through the Actions of Worms, with Observations on their Habitatsispublished.

1882 CharlesdiesandisburiedinWestminsterAbbey.

Charles Darwin timeline

www.aboutdarwin.com/index.html