Timeline of Charles Darwin's life
1809
Charles Robert Darwin is born on 12 February at The Mount in Shrewsbury, Shropshire.
1817
Darwin’s mother Susannah (née Wedgwood) dies when he is eight years old.
1825–1827
Darwin’s father removes him from Shrewsbury Grammar School due to his poor progress and sends him to Edinburgh University. He later chastised 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’.
1827–1831
Darwin enrolls at Christ’s College, Cambridge University to study theology in preparation for life as a country parson. He is introduced to beetle collecting and becomes known as ‘the man who walks with Henslow’ through spending a lot of time with the professor of botany.
1831–1836
Darwin makes major natural history collections as he travels around South America as the ship’s naturalist aboard the HMS Beagle.
1835–1836
Darwin first considers the evolution of species while thinking about the variations among Galapagos mockingbirds, 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’.
1837
Darwin draws a simple evolutionary tree in one of his notebooks below the words ‘I think’.
1838–1839
Darwin starts to develop his theory of natural selection.
1839
Darwin marries his cousin, Emma Wedgwood. They move to London and have two children. Darwin starts a natural history of babies, making detailed observations recording the development of expressions of emotion from birth. Eventually they have 10 children, although only seven survive to adulthood.
Publishes The Journal of a Naturalist.
1840
Publishes Zoology of the Voyage of the Beagle.
1842
Darwin wrote his first essay outlining his evolutionary theory.
Darwin moves to Down House in Bromley, Kent, where he lives for the rest of his life.
Publishes The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reef.
1844
Darwin secretly writes a landmark essay on evolution by natural selection and instructs his wife have it published in the event of his death, writing in a note to her ‘I have just finished my sketch of my species theory. If, as I believe […] my theory is true, and if it be accepted even by one competent judge, it will be a considerable step in science’.
Darwin writes to botanist Joseph Hooker telling him of his evolutionary ideas, saying it is
‘like confessing a murder’.
1851
Darwin’s first daughter, Annie Elizabeth, dies at the age of ten, probably from tuberculosis. He recorded the last days of her illness and wrote a memorial to her, which was kept with other mementos of her life, in her writing box.
1854–59
Continues to develop the theory of evolution through reading, consulting other naturalists, observation and experimentation in his garden and the countryside around Down House.
1855
Carries out the first focused survey of biodiversity in a field at Down House and establishes the principle of divergence.
1856
Starts work on the first long version of On the Origin of Species.
1858
Darwin receives a letter from Alfred Russel Wallace in Indonesia, a young naturalist who has independently arrived at a theory of natural selection that is nearly identical to Darwin’s.
1858
Both Darwin’s and Wallace’s theories are presented to the Linnaean Society on 1 July. They are officially published by the society in August. Darwin was unable to present his paper – the funeral for his youngest son took place on the same day as the meeting.
1859
Charles Darwin publishes On the Origin of Species on 24 November, putting forward his theory of evolution by natural selection.
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 (today known as the BA), 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.
1862
Publishes Fertilisation of Orchids, based on his observations of wild orchids growing in the countryside around Down House.
1868
Publishes Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication, which provides detailed evidence for many of the statements made in On the Origin of Species.
1871
Darwin’s The Descent of Man is published, explicitly applying his theories of evolution to humans.
1872
Publishes The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals.
1876
Publishes The effects of cross and self fertilisation in the vegetable kingdom based on his work around Down House.
1881
Publishes The Action of Worms, noting their gradual but significant effects on soil movement.
1882
Charles Darwin dies. His friend, neighbour and scientist John Lubbock MP secures his burial in Westminster Abbey. Darwin’s funeral is attended by England’s leading politicians, scientists, and clergy.
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