Scientist of the day - Chalres Dawin

Charles Darwin

Nationality British, Born on 12 February 1809 AD,  Died At Age73, Born in Shrewsbury Died on 19 April 1882 AD, father Robert Darwin mother Susannah Darwin Spouse: Emma Darwin.

he evolution of homo sapiens from apes, a form of animal, is a concept that is widely recognized today but back in the 19th century when Charles Darwin first introduced his revolutionary theory of evolution, he was rebuked while his work was admonished. His never-heard-of concept faced the glaring eyes of the world and the Church and remained unaccepted until long after, when it was deemed to be the new orthodoxy. The DNA studies proclaimed his evidence to be true and rebuffed the religious view that prevailed until then that all of nature was born of God. Born in an affluent family of Shrewsbury, Charles Robert Darwin planned to follow a medical career but soon gave up the same to pursue his burning passion for being a naturalist. With years of dedicated study, he established the concept that all species descended from common ancestors and that the branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process which he termed natural selection. It was his five years voyage on the HMS Beagle that transformed his life completely, establishing him as an eminent geologist. It was in 1858 that he came up with his most recognized work ‘On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection’. To know in details about the life and works of this influential figure of human history, browse through the following lines.

Childhood & Early Life

• Charles Robert Darwin was fifth of six children born to Robert Darwin and Susannah Darwin. His father was a doctor and financier by profession.
• Since he was born in an affluent family, it gave him an access to explore nature, which he grew a fantasy for. He attained his basic education from Anglican Shrewsbury School, before attending the University Of Edinburgh Medical School.
• Uninspired by the teaching methods and interested in the subjects taught, he took to learning taxidermy from John Edmonstone. he registered himself at the Plinian Society, a student natural history group. He first presented his discovery on March 27, 1827 at the Plinian where he argued that the black spores found in oyster shells were in actuality the eggs of a skate leech.
• He further studied classification of plants and assisted with work on the collections of the University Museum. Meanwhile, his lack of interest in medical studies led his father to enrol him at the Christ’s College to attain a BA degree.
• He despised mainstream education and showed profound interest in botany. He became close to John Stevens Henslow, who in turn became his mentor. It was during this time that he capitalized on the opportunity to meet other naturalists as well.
• He graduated with a distinction in 1831. Thereafter, he devoted his time in reading books of natural history including Paley's Natural Theology, Alexander von Humboldt's Personal Narrative and John Herschel's book. Inspired by the books, he resolved to study natural history in the tropics.

  Major Works

  Darwin’s Theory of Evolution changed the way the world look at the creation of life. Until then, the dominant thinking was that all species either came into being at the start of the world, or were created over the course of natural history. In both the cases, it was believed that the species remained much the same throughout the time. Darwin, however, noticed similarities among species all over the globe, as well as variations based on specific locations. This led him to conclude that they had gradually evolved from common ancestors. He came to believe that species survived through a process called “natural selection,” where species that successfully adapted to meet the changing requirements of their natural habitat survived, while those that failed to evolve and reproduce died off.

  Personal Life & Legacy

  • He tied the nuptial knot with Emma Darwin in the year 1838. The couple was blessed with ten children out of whom two died in infancy. Annie died at the age of ten. However, his other children went on to have distinguished careers in their life.
  • He was faced with frail health all through his life, which caused him periods of incapacity. In 1882, he was diagnosed with angina pectoris, which caused coronary thrombosis and disease of the heart.
  • He died on April 19, 1882 due to angina attacks and heart failure. Though he was to be buried at St Mary's churchyard at Downe, public and parliamentary petitioning led to him being buried at Westminster Abbey, near John Herschel and Isaac Newton.

    
    

    Trivia

    He was the first to establish the concept that all species descended from common ancestors and that the branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process which he termed natural selection.