Charles Darwin Biography

Charles Darwin was one of the most influential people in history. He probably never imagined that his theory of evolution and natural selection would become one of the most important scientific theories in the history of the world. He probably never imagined that it would cause so much controversy over the way human beings came into existence either.
Charles R. Darwin was born on February 12, 1809 in the town of Shrewsbury, England. He was born into a relatively wealthy family. He was the second youngest in his family and had three sisters and two brothers. His father, Dr. Robert W. Darwin, was the town doctor. His mother, Susannah W. Darwin, died when he was eight. After his mother’s death, his three sisters cared for him.
When Charles was 9, he started his studies at Anglican Shrewsbury School. While he was there, he dabbled in chemistry. Science, at the time, was thought of by people as dehumanizing society. So because of his dabbling in chemistry he was condemned by his professor and given the nickname “Gas” by his classmates.
When Charles turned sixteen, He and his brother, Erasmus Darwin, enrolled at Edinburg University. Even though he gave the impression that he didn’t learn anything there, his studies were very successful. He learned many things by many people. For example, he learned about the chemistry of cooling rock on primitive earth and learned how to stuff a bird by a freed South American Slave.
After a few years, his father thought church was a better calling for him, so he switched Charles over to Christ College at Cambridge. After switching, Charles was now being educated as an Anglican gentleman. Here he learned the conservation side of botany by John Stevens Henslow. After Henslow suggested a trip aroun...

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...e. After sometime of being lonely, he married his cousin, Emma Wedgewood, in 1839. For his studies he earned the Royal Society’s Royal Medal in 1853. He wanted to publish his findings so that people all the world could read about his studies. He published a book called, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life on November 22, 1859. For the rest of his life, he spent all of his time improving and defending his theories. He wrote an autobiography for his grandchildren, not for the public, so they could remember him.
He was getting sicker every day. He had anginal pectoris, which is a disease that causes pain in your chest. He had a seizure in March 1882 which led to his death by heart attack on April 19, 1882. His body was laid to rest on April 26, 1882, in Westminster Abbey.