Charles Darwin

Author profile

born

in Mount House, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, The United Kingdom

February 12, 1809

died

April 19, 1882

gender

male

website

http://darwin-online.org.uk/

genre

Science, Biographies & Memoirs, Non Fiction

influences

Alexander von Humboldt, John F.W. Herschel, Charles Lyell

About this author

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Charles Robert Darwin was an English naturalist, eminent as a collector and geologist, who proposed and provided scientific evidence that all species of life have evolved over time from common ancestors through the process he called natural selection. The fact that evolution occurs became accepted by the scientific community and the general public in his lifetime, while his theory of natural selection came to be widely seen as the primary explanation of the process of evolution in the 1930s, and now forms the basis of modern evolutionary theory. In modified form, Darwin’s scientific discovery remains the foundation of biology, as it provides a unifying logical explanation for the diversity of life.

Darwin developed his interest in natural hi...more Charles Robert Darwin was an English naturalist, eminent as a collector and geologist, who proposed and provided scientific evidence that all species of life have evolved over time from common ancestors through the process he called natural selection. The fact that evolution occurs became accepted by the scientific community and the general public in his lifetime, while his theory of natural selection came to be widely seen as the primary explanation of the process of evolution in the 1930s, and now forms the basis of modern evolutionary theory. In modified form, Darwin’s scientific discovery remains the foundation of biology, as it provides a unifying logical explanation for the diversity of life.

Darwin developed his interest in natural history while studying medicine at Edinburgh University, then theology at Cambridge. His five-year voyage on the Beagle established him as a geologist whose observations and theories supported Charles Lyell’s uniformitarian ideas, and publication of his journal of the voyage made him famous as a popular author. Puzzled by the geographical distribution of wildlife and fossils he collected on the voyage, Darwin investigated the transmutation of species and conceived his theory of natural selection in 1838. Although he discussed his ideas with several naturalists, he needed time for extensive research and his geological work had priority. He was writing up his theory in 1858 when Alfred Russel Wallace sent him an essay which described the same idea, prompting immediate joint publication of both of their theories.

His 1859 book On the Origin of Species established evolution by common descent as the dominant scientific explanation of diversification in nature. He examined human evolution and sexual selection in The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex, followed by The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. His research on plants was published in a series of books, and in his final book, he examined earthworms and their effect on soil.

In recognition of Darwin’s pre-eminence, he was one of only five 19th century UK non-royal personages to be honoured by a state funeral, and was buried in Westminster Abbey, close to John Herschel and Isaac Newton.
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Average rating: 3.96 · 38,864 ratings · 1,549 reviews · 179 distinct works · Similar authors

	The Origin of Species 3.93 of 5 stars 3.93 avg rating — 26,983 ratings — published 1859 — 371 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Voyage of the Beagle by Charles Darwin, E. Janet Browne (Editor), Michael Neve (Editor) 3.98 of 5 stars 3.98 avg rating — 2,131 ratings — published 1839 — 148 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Descent of Man 4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 avg rating — 1,271 ratings — published 1871 — 83 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Autobiography of Charles Darwin, 1809–82 by Charles Darwin, Nora Barlow (Editor) 3.84 of 5 stars 3.84 avg rating — 478 ratings — published 1887 — 51 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	On Natural Selection 3.97 of 5 stars 3.97 avg rating — 256 ratings — published 1859 — 9 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Expression of Emotion in Man and Animals 4.0 of 5 stars 4.00 avg rating — 287 ratings — published 1872 — 69 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Origin of Species/The Voyage of the Beagle by Charles Darwin, Richard Dawkins (Goodreads Author) (Introduction) 4.18 of 5 stars 4.18 avg rating — 208 ratings — published 2003 — 5 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	From So Simple a Beginning: Voyage of the Beagle/Origin of Species/Descent of Man/Expression of Emotions in Man & Animals by Charles Darwin, Edward O. Wilson 4.48 of 5 stars 4.48 avg rating — 103 ratings — published 2005	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Darwin: Texts Commentary by Charles Darwin, Phillip Applebaum (Selected by) 3.8 of 5 stars 3.80 avg rating — 103 ratings — published 1952 — 5 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Origin of Species/The Descent of Man 4.24 of 5 stars 4.24 avg rating — 66 ratings — published 1871 — 5 editions	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Series by Charles Darwin

Masters of Modern Science (1 book)
by Charles Darwin
3.9965156794425085 of 5 stars 4.00 avg rating — 287 ratings

Quotes by Charles Darwin

“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.”
― Charles Darwin, The Autobiography of Charles Darwin, 1809–82

tags: arts, life, music, poetry

1,890 people liked it

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”
― Charles Darwin

tags: interesting

504 people liked it

“A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.”
― Charles Darwin

tags: life

182 people liked it

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Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin have the same birthday. Whose birthday party would you rather attend?

Charles Darwin

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Abraham Lincoln

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Charles Darwin

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