Charles Robert Darwin (1809-1882) - English naturalist, creator of Darwinism, foreign corresponding member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1867). In his main work, The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection (1859), summarizing the results of his own observations (swimming on the Beagle, 1831-36) and the achievements of contemporary biology and breeding practice, he revealed the main factors in the evolution of the organic world. In the work "Change of Domestic Animals and Cultivated Plants" (vols. 1-2, 1868), Charles Darwin presented additional factual material to the main work. In book. "The Origin of Man and Sexual Selection" (1871) substantiated the hypothesis of the origin of man from an ape-like ancestor. Works on geology, botany and zoology.

There is nothing more unbearable than idleness.

Darwin Charles

Charles Darwin was born February 12, 1809, Shrewsbury, England. Died April 19, 1882, Down, near London; buried in Westminster Abbey

The largest and richest monasteries, which owned significant lands, often played an important religious, political and economic role in feudal Western Europe (the abbeys of Cluny, Saint-Denis, Port-Royal, St. Gallen, Fulda, Montecassino, etc.).

During the Reformation, and especially during the bourgeois revolutions, the former importance of the abbey in the public life of European countries was undermined. Many abbots were eliminated, but some continue to exist today. Zodiac sign - Aquarius.

Never enter into friendship with a person whom you cannot respect.

Darwin Charles

Childhood, education and Darwin's family

Charles was the son of Robert Darwin, who practiced successfully as a physician in Shrewsbury. Mother - Suzanne Wedgwood - came from a wealthy family of owners of the famous porcelain factory. The Darwin family has been linked to the Wedgwood family for generations. Darwin himself married his cousin Emma Wedgwood. Darwin's grandfather - Erasmus Darwin - was a famous physician, naturalist, and poet. In general, representatives of the Darwin family are characterized by high intellectual qualities and broad cultural interests.

After the sudden death of his mother in 1817, Charles Darwin was raised by his older sister Caroline. In the same year, Charles began attending a visiting school in Shrewsbury. He did not shine with success, but even then he developed a taste for natural history and for collecting collections.

In 1818, Charles Darwin entered Shrewsbury in a "big school" with a boarding house, which was "just an empty place" for him. From 1825-1827 Darwin studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh and from 1827-31 theology at Cambridge. In 1831-36, on the recommendation of the botanist J. Henslow and the Wedgwood family, Darwin got a job as a naturalist on the Beagle ship and made a round-the-world trip. From the trip, he returned as a man of science.

Talk of fame, honor, pleasure and wealth is dirty compared to love.

Darwin Charles

In 1839 Charles Darwin married and the young family settled in London. Since 1842, the family has permanently lived in Down, a beautiful place, convenient for concentrated work and recreation. Darwin and his wife had 10 children, of whom three died in childhood.

Geology of Darwin

On December 27, 1831, the Beagle set sail. Darwin managed to take with him the just published 1st volume of "Principles of Geology" by Charles Lyell. This volume had a great influence on the formation of the scientific views of the young researcher. Before the publication of Lyell's book, geology was dominated by the theory of catastrophes. Lyell showed that the geological forces that were at work in the past are still at work today. Darwin fruitfully applied the teachings of Lyell in relation to the object that he met on the path of the Beagle. It was the island of Sant'Iago. His study provided material for Darwin's first major generalization about the nature of oceanic islands. Darwin showed that both continental and island volcanoes are associated with large faults in the earth's crust, with cracks formed in the process of uplift of mountain ranges and continents.

A person who dares to waste an hour of time has not yet realized the value of life.

Darwin Charles

Darwin's second generalization refers to the problem of secular movements of the earth's crust. During geological periods of enormous duration, the South American continent experienced repeated ups and downs, which alternated with periods of relative calm. Charles Darwin painted with broad strokes the origin of the Patagonian Plain and the gradual weathering (denudation) of the Cordilleras.

Darwin's most original geological work was his theory of the origin of atolls, or ringed coral islands. Darwin's biogenic theory is based on the idea that a coastal reef is built by corals on the coast of a mainland or island that is experiencing subsidence. The coral layer, which has sunk to a depth of more than 50 meters, dies out and only their calcareous structures remain.

The ability to blush is the most characteristic and most human of all human properties.

Darwin Charles

Paleontological and zoological research

Charles Darwin's research in these areas has received wide recognition, regardless of his theory of evolution. In the Quaternary deposits of the pampas of South America, Darwin discovered a large group of extinct giant edentulous. These monstrous animals, closely related to pygmy armadillos and sloths, were described in detail by anatomist and paleontologist R. Owen. He also found fossil remains of a huge ungulate animal - Toxodon, whose teeth resembled the teeth of rodents, a giant camel-like animal - Macrauchenia, close in body structure to a llama and guanaco, a tooth of an extinct horse and many other forms. Darwin discovered a small ostrich, the so-called "Darwin's rhea", living in the southern part of Patagonia. He observed invaders from North and Central America (spectacled bear, maned wolf, pampas deer, hamster-like rodents, and others.). These materials could not but lead Darwin to the idea that the continent of South America had been isolated from North America for a long time and that this isolation had a significant impact on the course of the evolutionary process in various representatives of the South American fauna.

Sympathy for someone else's joy is a much rarer gift than sympathy for someone else's suffering.

Darwin Charles

In the Galápagos, Charles Darwin was able to observe the astonishing divergence of both giant tortoises and finches, which he studied so carefully and later called Darwin's finches. In 1846, Darwin completed his last monograph on geology and planned to come to grips with the questions of evolution. He wanted to devote several months to the study of barnacles. But this work dragged on until 1854. He created a fundamental work on the systematics of modern and extinct forms of this group of animals.

Evolutionary studies of Darwin

After the journey, Charles Darwin began to keep a systematic record of evolution. From 1837 to 1839 he created a series of notebooks in which he sketched out, in brief and fragmentary form, thoughts on evolution. In 1842 and 1844 he summed up in two steps a sketch and an essay on the origin of species. These works already contain many of the ideas that he later published in 1859.

In my opinion, lectures have no advantages compared to reading, but are inferior to it in many ways.,

Darwin Charles

In 1854-1855. Charles Darwin began to work on an evolutionary essay, collecting materials on the variability, heredity and evolution of wild species of animals and plants, as well as data on breeding methods for domestic animals and cultivated plants, comparing the results of artificial and natural selection. He began to write a work, the volume of which he estimated at 3-4 volumes. By the summer of 1858 he had written ten chapters of this work. This work was never completed and was first published in the UK in 1975. The stoppage in work was caused by the receipt of the manuscript by A. Wallace, in which, independently of Darwin, the foundations of the theory of natural selection were outlined. Darwin began to write a short extract and, with unusual haste, completed the work in 8 months. On November 24, 1859, "The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favored Breeds in the Struggle for Life" was published.

Darwin's historical merit lies in the fact that he, together with Wallace, discovered the driving factor of evolution - natural selection, and thereby revealed the causes of biological evolution.

As a child, I often composed deliberate nonsense only in order to arouse the surprise of others.

Darwin Charles

Passions raged all over the world, there was a struggle for Darwin, for Darwinism, on the one hand, against Darwinism, on the other. Audiences buzzed, scientists and publicists worried, some branded Darwin, others admired him, and Charles Darwin continued to work at his Down.

C. Darwin wrote three more books on evolution. In 1868, a great work on the theory of artificial selection "Change in Domestic Animals and Cultivated Plants" was published. In this book, not without the influence of criticism, Darwin asked himself the question of how favorable deviations in offspring can be fixed, and put forward the "temporary hypothesis of pangenesis." The hypothesis assumed the transfer of acquired properties from the organs of the body to the germ cells with the help of hypothetical particles - "gemmules" and was a tribute to Lamarckism. Darwin and his contemporaries did not know that in 1865 the Austro-Czech naturalist abbot Gregor Mendel discovered the laws of heredity. The pangenesis hypothesis no longer needed to be created widely.

In 1871, when Darwinism was already accepted as a natural scientific concept, Charles Darwin's book The Origin of Man and Sexual Selection was published, which shows not only the undoubted similarity, but also the relationship between humans and primates. Darwin argued that the ancestor of man can be found in the modern classification, among forms that may even be lower than the great apes. Humans and apes undergo similar psychological and physiological processes in courtship, reproduction, fertility, and care of offspring. A Russian translation of this book appeared in the same year. The following year, Darwin's book Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals was published, in which, based on the study of the facial muscles and the means of expressing emotions in man and animals, their relationship is proved by one more example.

The more we know the immutable laws of nature, the more incredible miracles become for us.

Darwin Charles

Botany and plant physiology

All of Darwin's botanical and physiological studies were aimed at finding evidence of the natural origin of adaptations under the influence of natural selection. He found that trees tend to have flowers of the same sex, and the occurrence of cross-pollination leads to an increase in hybrid vigor (heterosis). The role of cross-pollination and evolution of species (plant - insect) was studied in detail by him in orchids.

Charles Darwin developed the concept of climbing ability as an adaptation by which a plant reaches light very economically. Such an adaptation was acquired by climbing plants in the course of the struggle for existence. Darwin traced the gradations (transitions) between the various adaptations of plants to a climbing lifestyle and established that the most perfect group among climbing plants are the vines.

Finally, in 1881, a year before his death, Charles Darwin published a major work on the role of earthworms in soil formation.

Only the frail and the weak die. Healthy and strong always wins in the struggle for existence.

Darwin Charles

Darwin's encyclopedic nature, his exceptional authority as a natural scientist, the correctness and diplomacy shown by him in discussions, attention to the points of view of opponents and critics, a benevolent attitude towards students and followers, respect towards senior colleagues and other "inimitably high virtues" (Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov ) to a large extent contributed to the rapid spread of Darwin's teachings throughout the world. (J.M. Gall)

More about Charles Darwin:

At the age of 9, Charles Darwin entered an elementary school, and a year later he moved to Dr. Butler's gymnasium and had very mediocre successes. Here they leaned mainly on classical languages, literature, etc. subjects for which Charles had neither the desire nor the ability. On the other hand, a love and interest in nature awakened in him very early, expressed at first by collecting plants, minerals, shells, insects, bird nests and eggs, fishing and hunting; however, the boy also collected seals, envelopes, autographs, coins, etc. These activities, in connection with mediocre school success, caused reproaches from respectable people and from his father.

The highest possible stage of moral culture is when we realize that we are able to control our thoughts.

Darwin Charles

In 1825, Charles Darwin entered the University of Edinburgh, where he remained for two years, preparing for a medical career, but without success. Then he decided to become a priest, for which he entered Cambridge; but here he completed the course without any distinction in the number "oi polloi" (many). Much more important than book learning were for him a personal acquaintance with naturalists, visits to learned societies and natural history excursions.

At the University of Edinburgh, Darwin met the geologist Ensworth and the zoologists Coldstrom and Grant, whom he often accompanied to the seashore, where they collected marine animals. The first (unpublished) work of Charles Darwin, containing some of his observations, dates back to this time. At Cambridge, he met Henslow, a botanist with extensive knowledge of other branches of natural science, who arranged excursions in which Darwin himself took part. By the end of his stay in Cambridge, Charles Darwin was already a naturalist-collector, but did not ask any specific questions.

Henslow recommended Darwin as a collector to Captain Fitzroy, who was undertaking a circumnavigation on behalf of the government on the ship Beagle. Charles stayed on the journey for five years (1831 - 1836) and got acquainted with nature in all its infinite diversity.

Suggestions of conscience in connection with repentance and a sense of duty are the most important difference between man and animal.

Darwin Charles

The collections collected by Charles Darwin were processed by R. Owen (fossil mammals), Waterhouse (modern mammals), Gould (birds), Belle (reptiles and amphibians) and Jennins (insects); this general work is published under the title "The Zoology of the Travel of the Beagle". Darwin himself took over the geological part of the journey. The result of his research was: "On the structure and distribution of coral reefs" (1842), "Geological observations on volcanic islands" (1844) and "Geological research in South America" ​​(1846).

Darwin explained the origin of various forms of coral reefs by the gradual lowering of the seabed; its extremely simple and ingenious theory quickly established itself in science, but has recently been objected to by Murray et al. , put by Lyell as the basis of geology. In addition to these special works, he published a diary of his journey (“Journey around the world on the ship Beagle”, 2 vols., translated under the editorship of Andrei Beketov) - a book remarkable for the richness of observations and simplicity of presentation. These works brought Darwin fame among scientists. Since then, he devoted his energies entirely and exclusively to science.

Science consists in grouping facts in such a way that it is possible to derive general laws or conclusions from them.

Darwin Charles

Upon returning to England, Charles Darwin settled in London (where he married Emma Wedgwood in 1839), but poor health forced him to flee the city. In 1842 he moved to the Dawn estate, where he lived almost without a break until his death. The geological works mentioned above were followed by a number of special monographs devoted to the systematic processing of the barnacle subclass (Monogr. of Cyrrhipedia, 2 vols., 1851-54; M. of fossil Lepadidae, 1851; M. of Balanidae. 1854) precious for the taxonomy of this group of animals.

Already during the journey, Charles Darwin focused his attention on such phenomena that throw a bright light on the development of the organic world. Thus, he was occupied by the animal population of the oceanic islands (the Galopagos Islands, which he studied especially carefully in this respect, became a classical land in the eyes of naturalists), the geological succession of species. Especially important are his studies in South America, thanks to which the kinship between the living South American armadillos, tardigrades, etc. and the fossil representatives of these groups on the same mainland was revealed in relief. But this was so far only an unaccountable desire of a broad and inquisitive mind, involuntarily rushing to the most difficult and mysterious problems. Only upon his return from a trip in 1837, he raised the question of the origin of species and decided to start developing it. In 1839, after reading the book of Malthus, he quite clearly formulated the idea of ​​natural selection.

There is no evidence that man was originally endowed with an ennobling belief in the existence of an omnipotent god.

Darwin Charles

In 1842 Charles Darwin drew up the first draft of his theory; in 1844 - a more detailed essay, which he read to his friend J. Hooker. Then 12 years passed in collecting and processing the material, and only in 1856 Darwin, on the advice of Lyell, began to compose an "extract" from his work for publication. God knows when this “extraction” (calculated for 3-4 tons) would have seen the light of day, if in 1858 A. R. Wallas, who was engaged in natural historical research in the Malay Archipelago, had not sent Darwin an article containing in a fluent but distinct form, the same idea of ​​natural selection, with a request to publish it in the journal of the Linnean Society.

C. Darwin consulted with friends, who persuaded him to publish, together with Wallas's article, a brief extract from his work. So he did, and then set about compiling a more detailed essay, which was published the following year, 1859, under the title: “Origin of species by means of natural selection” (“Origin of species by means of natural selection”, translated by Rachinsky , 2nd ed., 1865).

There is nothing more remarkable than the spread of religious infidelity, or rationalism, during the second half of my life.

Darwin Charles

The theory of Charles Darwin (its essence and meaning is set out in Art. Vid, VI, 24) was developed so carefully, relied on such a mass of facts, explained so many mysterious phenomena, finally indicated so many new paths for research, that it established itself in science with remarkable speed, despite the fierce attacks of opponents of transformism. She met the most hostile attitude in France, where she triumphed only by the end of the 70s.

Striking the living ideas about man, his origins, and so on, she naturally aroused rumors in general literature, in the daily press, among theologians and others. The terms "Darwinist", "Darwinism", "struggle for existence" have become current; Darwin's name gained such popularity as no other scientist had - in general, his theory made an impression unparalleled in the history of science. The culprit of all this movement led a calm, monotonous and secluded life on his estate. The slightest fatigue, excitement, lively conversation were extremely harmful to his poor health. It can be said that during the 40 years of his life in Dawn there was not a single day when Charles Darwin felt completely healthy. Only extreme regularity, caution and moderation in habits allowed him to live to a ripe old age. Constant malaise did not allow him to work hard; but the extreme accuracy and methodicalness in his studies, and especially the perseverance with which he conducted his research for decades (for example, one of his experiments on earthworms lasted 29 years), compensated for the damage caused by the disease.

Considering how savagely I was attacked by representatives of the Church, it seems amusing that at one time I myself had the intention of becoming a priest.

Darwin Charles

The hermit life of Charles Darwin was occasionally interrupted by trips to London, to relatives, to the seashore, etc., for rest and health improvement. Friends often gathered to him - Hooker, Lyell, Forbes, and others, and later, with the triumph of "Darwinism", Dawn began to attract visitors from the most distant countries. The enchanting impression that Darwin made on his guests with his friendliness and simplicity, childish gentleness, deep sincerity and modesty, contributed no less to his popularity as a person than The Origin of Species and other books to his fame as a scientist. However, his moral personality was also reflected in the books: extreme indulgence towards others and inexorable severity towards oneself constitute their characteristic feature. He himself looked for weaknesses in his theories, and all the essential objections to natural selection were foreseen by him and subjected to analysis in advance. This scientific rigor and honesty of Darwin contributed in no small way to the rapid success of his teaching.

Almost all of Charles Darwin's studies that have appeared since The Origin of Species represent a further development of his theory as applied to certain questions of biology. We list them by subject of study: the books "Adaptation of orchids to fertilization by means of insects" (1862), "The action of self-pollination and cross-pollination in the vegetable kingdom" (1876) and "Different forms of flowers in plants of the same species" (1877) clarified the biological the meaning of the flower and the mutual relationship between insects and plants. In the first of these works, he showed that the bizarre and varied forms of flowers in orchids represent the most amazing devices for fertilization with the help of insects that carry the pollen of one flower on the stigma of another; in the second, he proved experimentally the harm of constant self-fertilization with respect to many plants and the need for cross-pollination, which in most plants occurs due to insects attracted by flowers; in the third, he pointed out the existence in many plants of flowers of a double and even triple form, representing a very convenient adaptation for cross-pollination with the help of insects.

As a rule, not those who know a lot, but those who know little, declare most confidently that this or that problem will never be solved by science.

Darwin Charles

These works of Charles Darwin explained a whole world of phenomena that had remained incomprehensible until then. What is a flower, why these bright, colorful petals, bizarre shapes, fragrance, nectars, etc.? - There was no answer to all these questions. Now all this was explained in terms of the benefits of cross-pollination with the help of insects. Darwin's research on cross-fertilization generated a huge literature. Hildenbrand, Hermann Müller, Axel, Delpino, Lebbock, Fr. Müller and many other researchers developed this important chapter of biology in great detail.

D "Arcy Thomson in 1883 counted 714 works devoted to the fertilization of plants and caused by the works of Darwin. Two voluminous books: The Movements and Lifestyle of Climbing Plants (1876) and The Ability of Plants to Move (1880) are devoted to the movements of climbing and climbing plants and devices that they possess for wrapping around other people's stems, for attaching to walls, etc. Charles Darwin reduces the various forms of these movements to the so-called "circumnutation", that is, the circular movement of the top of growing organs. a common property of plants, while such phenomena, striking in their expediency, as the movement of the tops of climbing plants, the folding of mimosa leaves, etc., are only more developed forms of this elementary movement, connected with it by gradual transitions.

Ignorance is always more certain than knowledge, and only the ignorant can say with certainty that the sciences will never be able to solve this or that problem.

Darwin Charles

In the same way, Charles Darwin was able to trace the transitions between various devices such as tendrils, trailers, hooks that help the plant to hold on to foreign objects - and reduce them to the simplest form, from which they developed by natural selection, which accumulated useful changes. Further to the field of botany are "Insectivorous Plants" (1875). The fact of the existence of insectivores, more precisely carnivores (since some of them also catch and eat small crustaceans, fish, etc.) was accurately established by Darwin, and the significance of a number of adaptations was explained, such as the flapping leaves of the flycatcher, the vesicles of Utricularia, the glandular leaves of the sundew. These works have brought Darwin one of the first places among the botanists of our age. He illuminated whole areas of phenomena that seemed dark and incomprehensible; discovered a lot of new and amazing facts.

In 1868, Charles Darwin published a huge work "The variations of animals and plants under domestication", translated by Vladimir Kovalevsky, 2 vols. The first volume presents a collection of data on artificial selection, on the origin of domestic animals and plants; the second sets out the general questions arising from these data: the laws of heredity, the phenomena of atavism, the influence of crossing within close limits, etc., and the least successful of Darwin's hypotheses, the hypothesis of pangenesis, with which he thought to explain heredity.

My main pleasure and only occupation throughout my life has been scientific work, and the excitement caused by it allows me to forget for a while or completely eliminates my constant ill health.

Darwin Charles

In 1871, Charles Darwin published the book The Origin of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex (translated by Sechenov, 1871). In the first part of this book, the question of the origin of man from a lower, ape-like form is dealt with; in the second, the theory of "sexual selection", according to which the features peculiar only to males - for example, the spurs of a rooster, the mane of a lion, the bright feathers and musical abilities of birds, etc. - arose due to the struggle or rivalry between males, since the strongest or the most beautiful are more likely to take possession of the females and leave offspring.

The book On the Expression of Sensations in Man and Animals (1872) is an application of the theory of natural selection to such a seemingly capricious phenomenon as the play of physiognomy under the influence of various sensations. Some expressions depend on the known physiological processes and anatomical features of our body; others are adaptations inherited from distant ancestors; still others are the remnants of habits observed in higher animals, preserved in a half-erased, rudimentary state, as certain rudimentary organs have been preserved. In his last book, The Formation of Vegetative Earth Thanks to Worms (1881, Russian translation by Menzbier), which was published not long before Darwin's death, he showed, by means of experiments, measurements and calculations, what an enormous work earthworms do on our soils and what useful value they have they are for the plant world.

If it weren't possible for me to survive my life, I would make it a rule for myself to read a certain amount of poetry and listen to music at least once a week. By such an exercise, I would be able to keep the parts of the brain active that have now atrophied.

Darwin Charles

As Charles Darwin's theory spread and its results were revealed in countless works, in the rapid transformation of all branches of biology, awards and distinctions from learned societies and institutions came to him. Darwin received (1864) the Copley gold medal from the Royal Society of London, the Prussian order "Pour le merite" (1867), established by Frederick William IV for the award of scientific and literary merits, an honorary doctorate from Bonn, Breslau, Leiden, Cambridge (1877) universities; was elected a member of the St. Petersburg (1867), Berlin (1878), Paris (1878) academies (the latter honored Darwin with this distinction in respect of his actual merits, and not "problematic hypotheses"), an honorary member of various scientific societies.

Meanwhile, his strength was weakening. Charles Darwin was not afraid of death, but of senility, loss of mind and ability to work. Fortunately, he did not have to live to such a state. At the end of 1881, he felt very ill, soon he could no longer leave the house, but continued to study science and, on April 17, 1882, followed some experience. On April 19, Charles Darwin died at the age of 74. His body was transferred to Westminster Abbey and buried next to Newton's tomb.

In human society, some of the worst dispositions that suddenly, for no apparent reason, appear in the composition of family members may represent a return to a primitive state from which we are separated by not so many generations.

Darwin Charles

From scientists of the XIX century. hardly anyone had such a profound and universal influence as Charles Darwin. Having explained the process of development of the organic world with the help of the theory of natural selection, he thereby brought triumph to the idea of ​​evolutionism; expressed a long time ago, but did not find a place in science. Whether the factors indicated by Darwin (the struggle for existence, variability and heredity) are sufficient to explain all the phenomena of development, or if further research will find new ones that have not yet been clarified, the future will show, but future biology will remain evolutionary biology. Yes, and other branches of knowledge, social sciences, anthropology, psychology, ethics, etc., have been and are being transformed in the sense of evolutionism, so that the book of Charles Darwin marks a new era not only in biology, but in general in the history of human thought.

At the age of eight, Charles showed a love and interest in nature. He collected plants, minerals, shells, insects, even seals, autographs, coins, and the like, early on he became addicted to fishing and spent whole hours with a fishing rod, but he especially fell in love with hunting.

In 1825, convinced that Charles's schoolwork would not be of much use, his father took him from the gymnasium and sent him to the University of Edinburgh to prepare for a medical career. The lectures seemed unbearably boring to him. For two years Darwin remained in Edinburgh. Finally, making sure that the son had no inclination towards medicine, the father suggested that he choose a spiritual career. Darwin thought and thought and agreed: in 1828 he entered the theological faculty of Cambridge University, intending to take the priesthood.

His studies here also retained their former character: very mediocre success in school subjects and diligent collection of collections - insects, birds, minerals, as well as hunting, fishing, excursions, observing the life of animals.

In 1831, Charles Darwin left the university among the "many" - the so-called students who completed the course satisfactorily, but without special distinctions.

Botany professor John Henslow helped Darwin make the final choice. He noticed Darwin's abilities and offered him a place as a naturalist on an expedition to South America. Before sailing, Darwin read the works of the geologist Charles Lyell. He took a newly published book with him on his journey. It was one of the few books of known importance in his development. Lyell, the greatest thinker of the time, was close in spirit to Darwin.

The expedition sailed in 1831 on the ship "Beagle" and lasted five years. During this time, the researchers visited Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and the Galapagos Islands - ten rocky islands off the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean, each of which has its own fauna. Charles Darwin, on a subconscious level, singled out those facts and phenomena that were in the closest connection with the greatest problems of natural science. The question of the origin of the organic world had not yet arisen before him in a clear form, but meanwhile he was already drawing attention to those phenomena in which the key to the solution of this question lay.

If I came across a new observation, or a thought that contradicted my general conclusions, I necessarily and without delay made a short note about them, for as I have seen from experience, such facts or thoughts usually slip from memory much sooner than favorable ones for you. .

Darwin Charles

So, from the very beginning of the journey, Charles Darwin became interested in the question of how plants and animals moved. The fauna of the oceanic islands, the settlement of new lands, occupied him throughout the entire journey, and the Galapagos Islands, which he studied with particular care in this respect, became a classic land in the eyes of naturalists. Of great interest in his observations were transitional forms, which were precisely the object of annoyance and neglect on the part of taxonomists looking for "good", that is, well-defined species. Darwin remarks about one of these transitional families:

"It belongs to those which, in contact with other families, at the present time only hinder natural taxonomists, but in the end may contribute to the knowledge of the great plan according to which organized beings were created."

In the pampas of South America, Charles Darwin stumbled upon another set of facts that formed the basis of evolutionary theory - the geological succession of species. He managed to find many fossils, and the relationship of this extinct fauna with the modern inhabitants of America (for example, giant megatheriums with sloths, fossil armadillos with living ones) immediately caught his eye.

On this expedition, Charles Darwin collected a huge collection of rocks and fossils, compiled herbariums and a collection of stuffed animals. He kept a detailed diary of the expedition and subsequently made use of many of the materials and observations made on the expedition.

On October 2, 1836, Darwin returned from his travels. At this time he was 27 years old. The question of a career was decided by itself, without much thought. It’s not that Darwin believed in his ability to “advance science,” but there was nothing to talk about it either: huge materials, rich collections turned out to be on hand, he already had plans for future research, it remained, without further ado, to get to work. Darwin did just that. He devoted the next twenty years to processing the collected materials.

The travel diary he published was a great success. Artless simplicity of presentation is its main advantage. Charles Darwin cannot be called a brilliant stylist, but the love of nature, subtle observation, diversity and breadth of the author's interests make up for the lack of beauty of presentation.

For several months he lived in Cambridge, and in 1837 he moved to London, where he spent five years, revolving mainly in the circle of scientists. Accustomed to living among free nature, he was weary of city life. Of the scientists, Charles Darwin became especially close friends with Lyell, and with Hooker their friendship continued until Darwin's death. Hooker helped him a lot with his vast knowledge, finding, in turn, a source of further research in his ideas.

In general, these years were the most active period in Darwin's life. He often visited society, worked hard, read, made reports in learned societies, and for three years was the honorary secretary of the Geological Society.

In 1839 he married his cousin, Miss Emma Wedgwood. Meanwhile, his health was getting weaker and weaker. In 1841 he wrote to Lyell: "I was bitterly convinced that the world belongs to the strong and that I would not be able to do anything more than follow the progress of others in the field of science." Fortunately, these sad forebodings did not come true, but the rest of his life was spent in a continuous struggle with the disease. The noisy city life became unbearable for him, and in 1842 he moved to the estate Dawn, located near London, which he bought for this purpose.

Settling in Downa, Charles Darwin spent forty years of a calm, monotonous and active life. He got up very early, went for a short walk, then had breakfast at about eight o'clock and sat down to work until nine-thirty-thirty. It was his best working time. At half-past nine he began to read letters, of which he received a great many, and from half-past ten to twelve, or half-past twelve, he again studied. After that, he considered his working day over and, if the classes were successful, he said with pleasure: “Today I did a good job.” Then he went for a walk in any weather, accompanied by his beloved dog, Polly the Pinscher. He loved dogs very much, they answered him the same. Hermit life in Downe diversified from time to time with trips to relatives, to London, to the seashore.

In family life, Charles Darwin was quite happy. “In his relationship with my mother,” said the son of the scientist Francis Darwin, “his sympathetic, sensitive nature was most striking. In her presence he felt happy; thanks to her, his life, which otherwise would have been overshadowed by difficult impressions, had the character of calm and clear contentment.

The book On the Expression of Sensations shows how carefully Darwin observed his children. He was interested in the smallest details of their life and hobbies, played with them, told and read, taught them to collect and identify insects, but at the same time he gave them complete freedom and treated them in a comradely manner.

In business matters, Darwin was meticulous to the point of scrupulousness. He kept his accounts very carefully, classified them and at the end of the year summed up the results like a merchant. His father left him a fortune that was enough for an independent and modest life.

His own books gave him a significant income, which Charles Darwin was not a little proud of because of the love of money, but because of the consciousness that he, too, could earn his bread. Darwin often provided financial assistance to needy scientists, and in the last years of his life, when his income increased, he decided to allocate part of his money to promote the development of science.

The patience and perseverance with which Darwin carried out his work is amazing. The "pangenesis" hypothesis is the result of twenty-five years of reflection on the question of the causes of heredity. He wrote the book "On the Expression of Sensations" for 33 years: in December 1839 he began to collect materials, and in 1872 the book was published. One of the experiments on earthworms lasted as long as 29 years! For twenty-one years, from 1837 to 1858, he worked out the question of the origin of species before he decided to publish a book.

The book was a huge success and made a lot of noise, as it contradicted traditional ideas about the origin of life on Earth. One of the boldest thoughts was the assertion that evolution continued for many millions of years. This was contrary to the Bible's teaching that the world was created in six days and has not changed since. Today, most scientists use a modernized version of Darwin's theory to explain changes in living organisms. Some reject his theory on religious grounds.

Charles Darwin discovered that organisms compete with each other for food and habitat. He noticed that even within the same species there are individuals with special features that increase their chances of survival. The offspring of such individuals inherit these traits, and they gradually become common. Individuals that do not have these traits die out. So, after many generations, the whole species acquires useful features. This process is called natural selection. He managed to solve the greatest problem of biology: the question of the origin and development of the organic world. It can be said that the entire history of the biological sciences falls into two periods: before Darwin, the unconscious striving to establish an evolutionary principle, and after Darwin, the conscious development of this principle, established in The Origin of Species.

One reason for the theory's success is to be found in the merits of Darwin's book itself. It is not enough to express an idea, it is also necessary to connect it with facts, and this part of the task is perhaps the most difficult. If Charles Darwin had expressed his thought in a general form, like Wallace, it certainly would not have produced even a hundredth of its effect. But he traced it to the most remote consequences, connected it with the data of various branches of science, backed it up with an indestructible battery of facts. He not only discovered the law, but also showed how this law manifests itself in various spheres of phenomena.

Almost all of Darwin's studies that appeared after The Origin of Species represent the development of certain particular principles of his theory. The only exceptions are a book on earthworms and a few small notes. All the rest are devoted to solving various problems of biology - for the most part the most intricate and complex from the point of view of natural selection.

In 1862, C. Darwin published Pollination of Orchids, proving that plants adapt to their environment in no less amazing way than animals. For a while, he gives his scientific predilections to plant life, each of his subsequent books impresses fellow botanists. The works "Insectivorous Plants" and "Climbing Plants" appeared simultaneously in 1875.

Charles Darwin also made his contribution to the future science of genetics by starting experiments on crossing species. He proved that plants that are obtained as a result of crossing are more viable and fruitful than with simple self-pollination.

Almost every new work of Darwin became a sensation in the scientific world. True, not all of them were accepted by his contemporaries, as happened, for example, with the study "Formation of plant soil through the activity of worms" (1881). In it, Darwin explained the benefits of worms, which mix the soil naturally. Today, when people think a lot about the contamination of the earth with chemical fertilizers, this problem has again become relevant.

But his interests were not limited to theoretical studies. In one of his works, Charles Darwin gave practical advice on breeding thoroughbred English hogs. As his theory spread and results were found in innumerable works, in the rapid transformation of all branches of knowledge, patented scientists, academic luminaries came to terms with the merits of the great naturalist. In 1864, he received the highest award that a scientist at the academy can receive: the Kopleev gold medal. In 1867, Darwin was awarded the Prussian Pour Ie merite, established by Frederick William IV to reward scholarly and literary merit. Bonn, Breslavl, Leiden universities elected him an honorary doctor; Petersburg (1867), Berlin (1878), Paris (1878) academies - corresponding member.

Darwin treated all these and other official awards with great indifference. He lost his diplomas and had to inquire with his friends whether he was a member of such and such an academy or not. The mind of the scientist did not weaken, did not darken over the years, and only death interrupted his mighty work.

Charles Darwin - quotes

Some of the great discoveries that have advanced science can be called “easy,” not in the sense that they were easy to make, but in the sense that once they have been made, they are easy to understand for everyone.

Ignorance is always more self-confident than knowledge, and only the ignorant can say with certainty that the sciences will never be able to solve this or that problem.

I cannot recall a single hypothesis that I originally formulated that would not have been rejected or changed by me after some time...

If it could be shown that there is a complex organ that could not be formed by numerous successive weak modifications, my theory of evolution would be a complete failure. But I can't find such a case.

Charles Robert Darwin was born in the winter of 1809 in England. His parents had six children. The father of the family worked as a doctor. The family was wealthy. One of Charles' grandfathers was a scientist and the other an artist. The boy liked the story. Another hobby was collecting. At the age of eight he entered the school. Charles' mother died soon after. The following year, the father sent the boy and his older brother to a boarding school. The child didn't like it. He began collecting insects and minerals. He liked hunting and chemistry.

Then the young man entered the university to study medicine. But she seemed uninteresting to him, and he moved to the Faculty of Natural History. Charles worked with plants in the museum.

Then the young researcher studied to be a priest. He devoted much of his time to horseback riding and hunting. A relative of Charles introduced him to insect collectors. The researcher himself began to collect beetles. A professor of botany becomes the best friend of a young man. Charles did well in his exams.

The explorer read and traveled a lot. When his studies at the university ended, the young man went on an expedition. There he began to doubt the existence of God. He recorded his observations and collected. As a result, he made important discoveries.

The researcher was married. His chosen one was Charles's cousin. She played the piano well and was fond of archery. The couple had ten children. Some of them were in poor health. The scientist concluded that the reason for the sickness of the children was that he and his wife were relatives. When their daughter died, the scientist completely stopped believing in God. Charles' wife was a philanthropist. She helped people with money and food. Many children of spouses have succeeded in life.

The researcher has received many awards for his work.

The explorer died in the spring of 1882. He made a huge contribution to the development of science. Many geographical features were named after him, as well as animals, insects and plants.

Read the biography of Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin was born on February 12, 1809, in Great Britain, Shropshire, the city of Shrewsbury, in the estate of his father. His father was a wealthy doctor and financier. In a simple local school, he learned his initial knowledge. As a child, his attention was drawn to natural science and collecting. 1818 Charles continues his studies at Shrewsbury. Practically, all his free time he hunts, collects butterflies and natural minerals. He remained indifferent to the humanities, they were difficult for him to study.

At the University of Edinburgh he continued his studies (1825). He began studying medicine, later becoming interested in taxidermy and natural history. During this period he took part in a scientific trip to South America. As an assistant, he takes part in the study of body structure and the life cycle of marine invertebrates, together with Robert Grant. Happens in the classes of Robert Jameson in natural history (geology). He studied plants and worked in the university museum.

Further, on the advice of his father, he enters the University of Cambridge (1828), with the aim of trying on the priesthood of the English Church. At the university, Charles rarely attends lectures, and does a lot of horse riding and hunting. Befriended people who are addicted to insects. Collects beetles. Befriends John Grenslow, professor of botany. Interested in the works of Paley, von Humboldt and Herschel.

In 1861, he completed his studies at the university and set off on a round-the-world trip on the Beagle ship. During the journey, he collects a large collection of animals, examines and observes the geology of the areas along the way. Finds the fossilized remains of dead animals. During the entire journey, Charles carefully studied the environment, recorded observations and conclusions, and sent part of the information to his homeland. He returned from his travels in 1836.

In 1838 he received the post of secretary of the London Society of Geologists. A year later, he married and the first scientific book was published, written on the basis of notes taken during a scientific expedition. With his wife he went to live in the city of Down, in Kent (1842). Here the couple lived all their lives and devoted time to scientific work.

Charles' work on the origin of species, first published in 1842, was a short note. All work on this topic took, from the biologist Charles, more than 10 years. In 1858, a work on the theory of the origin of species was presented to the scientists in full. A year later, a work was published, which was called "The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection" as a supplement to the previous work. In addition to these works, Charles Darwin published many more significant works on heredity, selection, the formation of coral reefs and much more.

Most of the works were successful and recognized by the scientific world of that time. The main work of the scientist on natural selection found positive reviews only in the 50s of the 20th century.

The scientist died in the city of Down, where he lived most of his life, on April 19, 1882. His remains lie in Westminster Abbey.

Interesting facts and dates from life

Charles Robert Darwin (12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English explorer and naturalist. Darwin is the founder of many biological theories, the main of which are the theory of the origin of man on Earth and the hypothesis of evolution, where Charles declared the common ancestors of modern people, who changed and adapted over millions of years. Later, Darwin proved another theory - about sexual selection.

Childhood

Charles Robert Darwin was born on February 12 in the small town of Shrewsbury, located in the county of Shropshire, in a large, but very wealthy family. Charles was the fifth of six children, so he was partially deprived of parental attention and affection.

His father, Robert Darwin, was a famous doctor in the town, who later turned into a very talented financier. Mother - Susan Darwin - came from an aristocratic family, so young Charles was half noble blood. Many bibliographers believe that Darwin got his love for naturalism and travel from his paternal grandfather, Erasmus Darwin, who, being a young and promising scientist, often visited other countries in search of new ideas for inventions.

Darwin's family was quite religious. Despite the fact that the boy's parents were Unitarian, Robert Darwin never forbade his sons and daughters to attend the Anglican Church. According to the records of Darwin himself, his father had rather free views, so the strict religious traditions in their family had a rather formal side.

In 1817, young Darwin was sent to a day school, where the main emphasis was on the study of classical languages ​​and literature. However, from the very first days it becomes clear that the boy is absolutely not interested in “things that are dry for his living soul”, which is why the first problems with education begin.

In the same year, Charles's mother suddenly dies, as a result of which the responsibility for raising and caring for the children falls entirely on the shoulders of the father, who never seriously took care of children, leaving these concerns to his wife. Unable and partially unwilling to understand the spiritual world of Charles, his father sends him and his older brother Erasmus to the Shrewsbury School, an English boarding school, where the boys must continue their study of the philological sphere.

But no matter how hard his father tries to instill in Charles a love for languages, he not only does not want to learn this, but also begins to rebel: he runs away from classes, drives school teachers to hysteria and, ultimately, receives complete indifference to his person from their side. However, this absolutely does not prevent the young talent from doing what he really wants to do. At first he is fond of botany, collects various plants and herbs. Then he moves on to collecting butterflies and minerals. Six months later, Charles is fond of hunting, which completely discourages his father's desire to establish good relations with his own son. As a result, they begin to threaten him with punishment, if only the young man finally finished the boarding school and received a certificate.

Youth

As soon as boarding school comes to its logical conclusion, Charles unites with his older brother and moves to Edinburgh, where he enters the local university at the Faculty of Medicine. Together with other gifted students and under the guidance of experienced professors, Darwin performs a number of surgical operations and even for a while begins to seriously think about a career in this field, but two months later the operations become boring for him, and he quits surgery.

After that, Charles Darwin attends Robert Jameson's lectures on geology, despite the fact that he himself did not much like this area. In parallel, he continues to study biology and even forms several independent theories. One day, he witnesses a dialogue between Robert Edmond Grant and his colleague, during which the former seriously praised Lamarck's ideas and theories about the origin of life on Earth. Darwin was so impressed with the speech, although he remained aloof from the dialogue, that he continued to study this topic, subsequently coming to phenomenal conclusions.

By 1827, Darwin's father discovers the fact that his son had long abandoned medicine and surgery, once again fascinated by collecting and hunting. In an effort to make him a famous and wealthy person, his father offers Charles to enter Christ's College, Cambridge University, so that in the future he will have the opportunity to become a priest. At first, the young man doubts the correctness of his choice, because, as a physician and biologist, he has repeatedly encountered contradictions in the canons and dogmas. But the father manages to insist on his own, and in 1828 Darwin entered Cambridge.

Career

As expected, Darwin's education did not go as his father had planned. The young and talented naturalist did not like the religious norms of behavior, therefore, in his own words, Charles quickly abandoned his studies and "switched" to collecting beetles and hunting. Thanks to Cambridge, he was able to meet many prominent naturalists and professors of biology, some of whom became his idols for many years. Among his closest and dearest friends, he ranked the leading professor of botany, John Stevens Genslow, who made a lot of effort to teach his ward.

By 1831, Charles Darwin, having graduated from the University of Cambridge, finally understands that he wants to be a naturalist. By that time, almost everyone already knows about the talented guy, so when an expedition to South America, carried out on the Beagle ship, begins to gather, Darwin is immediately notified. Thus begins his new life and, most importantly, the beginning of a dizzying career as a traveler and naturalist.

Darwin spends five long years on the expedition. During this time, he repeatedly landed on the coast of various islands, collected geological materials, compiled maps, and made small notes about the local flora and fauna. He diligently divides all the information collected into categories and, if possible, sends it to Cambridge and relatives, showing the results of his activities. Separately, Charles Darwin manages to collect a unique and large collection of plants and insects, which he finds in Patagonia, Punta Alta, the Galapagos and other islands.

Returning from a trip in 1836, Darwin decides that it is time to write his own book, where he can detail all the adventures and attach the results of his research. Thus, a book was born called The Naturalist's Voyage Around the World on the Beagle, which was published in 1839. She is recognized by the general public, as well as by many leading zoologists, since Darwin's research at that time was valuable and unique.

After the success of the first book, Charles takes on writing a multi-volume on the origin of species. Thanks to the numerous records and notes that he was able to collect during his trip to South America, he comes to the conclusion that each species has changed significantly over many millions of years, despite the fact that it left belonging to the roots. Thus, Darwin succeeded in forming and later proving the theory of the evolutionary origin of species, which was described in detail in his book The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favored Breeds in the Struggle for Life. By the way, the book became so popular that it spread around the world, making Darwin famous, and continues to be sold to this day.

Personal life

Unlike his friends, who married and divorced at a young age, for Charles Darwin marriage was a very serious topic that had to be approached with all reasonableness. There is a version that a leaflet was found in Darwin's papers, on which a naturalist and traveler seriously compiled a list of how marriage could be useful and useless. The sheet listed about forty items that confirmed or, conversely, refuted the desire to marry.

However, below the calculations, Charles underlined the word "marry" three times.
In 1839, he married Emmy Wedgwood, his own cousin, with whom he had ten children (three died in infancy). At first, the couple lives in London, but in old age they move to Kent, where Darwin buys a huge house for his family.

Charles Robert Darwin - an outstanding English naturalist, naturalist, founder of Darwinism. His works on the evolution of living organisms had a huge impact on the history of human thought, marked a new era in the development of biology and other sciences.

Darwin was born in Shrewsbury (Shropshire) on February 12, 1809 in a fairly well-to-do large family of a doctor. The members of this family were characterized by a high cultural level, intellect, and a broad outlook. In particular, Erasmus Darwin, Charles's grandfather, gained fame as a physician, philosopher, and writer.

A sincere interest in the life of nature, a tendency to gather, the boy awakened in childhood. In 1817 his mother dies, and in 1818 Charles and Erasmus, the elder brother, are sent to a local boarding school. From 1825 Charles Darwin studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh. Not feeling disposed towards this profession, he abandoned his studies and, at the insistence of an angry father, went to study as a theologian at Cambridge, although he was not fully convinced of the truth of Christian postulates. Natural inclinations, participation in the life of scientific societies, acquaintance with botanists, zoologists, geologists, natural history excursions did their job: Charles Darwin left the walls of a Christian college in 1831 as a naturalist-collector.

In this capacity, for five years (1831-1836) he took part in a round-the-world trip on a ship, where he got on the recommendation of friends. During the voyage, he collected remarkable collections, and he set out his impressions and observations in a two-volume book entitled "Journey around the world on the Beagle ship", which made him famous in the scientific community. From this voyage, Charles returned as a mature scientist, who saw in science the only vocation and meaning of life.

Returning to England, Darwin worked as secretary of the London Geological Society (1838-1841), in 1839 he married Emma Wedgwoot, who later bore him 10 children. Poor health forced him in 1842 to leave the English capital and settle in the estate of Down (Kent), with which all his further biography was connected.

Life in the bosom of nature - measured and secluded, almost reclusive - was devoted to scientific works that developed the theory of the evolution of organic forms. The main evolutionary factors were reflected in the main work of Darwin (1859) "The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favored Breeds in the Struggle for Life". In 1868, the two-volume “Change in Domestic Animals and Cultivated Plants” supplementing it with factual material saw the light of day. The third book on evolution was The Descent of Man and Sexual Selection (1871) and the subsequent supplement, The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals (1872), and it was here that Darwin considered the origin of man from ape ancestors.

With his theory of the evolution of the organic world of the Earth, which was called Darwinism, the scientist made a splash, splitting the scientific community into two opposing camps. His teaching was very carefully developed, was based on a huge amount of factual material, explained phenomena that until then had no explanation, opened up huge research prospects, and all these factors contributed to the fact that Darwinism quickly strengthened its position.

Contributed to this and the very personality of its creator. According to contemporaries, Darwin was not just an exceptionally authoritative scientist, but a simple, modest, friendly, tactful person who treated even irreconcilable opponents correctly. While serious passions raged in the world over the theory of evolution, the main troublemaker followed the ups and downs, leading a solitary life, and was still engaged in scientific research, despite extremely poor health.

In parallel with the triumphant march of Darwinism, its author became the owner of an increasing number of various regalia from the scientific communities, which began with the Kopley gold medal from the Royal Society of London in 1864. In 1882, the scientist who made an unprecedented scientific revolution died quietly at Down. The body of Charles Darwin was transferred to Westminster Abbey, where he was buried near

Charles Darwin was born on February 12, 1809 in the city of Shrewsbury, Shropshire, Great Britain, in the family of a doctor. The future scientist received his primary education in a regular school. Already in those years of his brief biography, Darwin was fond of collecting and natural history.

In 1818, Charles was sent to the Shrewsbury School. Classical languages ​​and literature were given to the boy very badly, while he devoted much of his time to hunting, collecting a collection of minerals and butterflies, and chemistry.

Education

In 1825, Darwin entered the University of Edinburgh, where he studied first medicine, and then taxidermy, natural history. At this time, Charles participated in an expedition to South America, assisted R. E. Grant, attended the lectures of R. Jameson.

In 1828, at the urging of his father, Darwin entered Christ's College, Cambridge University, to receive the priesthood of the Church of England. During the years of study, Charles began to communicate closely with professor of botany D. S. Genslow, became interested in the works of W. Paley, Herschel, A. von Humboldt.

Trip around the world. Life in England

In 1831, Charles Darwin, whose biography already testified to him as a future biologist, with the assistance of friends, sets off on a round-the-world trip on Captain R. Fitzroy's ship Beagle.

During the expedition, Charles collected a huge collection of marine animals, took notes.

Returning to London in 1836, Darwin worked from 1838 as secretary of the Geological Society of London. In 1839, the scientist's book was published, written according to the notes of a round-the-world expedition - "A naturalist's journey around the world on the ship" Beagle "". In 1842, Darwin moved to Kent in the city of Down. Here he lived until the end of his days, actively engaged in scientific activities.

Charles Darwin died on April 19, 1882 in Downe. The great scientist was buried in Westminster Abbey.

Achievements in science: the main works of the scientist

In 1842, the biologist Darwin wrote the first essay on the origin of species. For more than ten years, the scientist worked on his fundamental work and only in 1858 presented the theory to the scientific community.

In 1859, The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favored Breeds in the Struggle for Life, appeared as a separate edition.

In 1868, Darwin's second major work, The Variation of Animals and Plants in the Domestic State, was published. In 1871, the work of the scientist "The Origin of Man and Sexual Selection" was published. In 1872, The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals was published.

Darwin's works on the evolution of living organisms had a huge impact on the history of human thought, marked the beginning of a new era in the development of biology and other disciplines.

Other biography options

• Darwin's grandfather, Erasmus Darwin, was a famous English physician, naturalist and poet.
• During his round-the-world trip, Darwin visited the Cape Verde Islands, Uruguay, Argentina, the coast of Brazil, Tenerife, Tasmania, etc.
• In 1839, Charles Darwin married Emma Wedgwood, during the years of their marriage they had ten children.
• For his significant contribution to science, Darwin was awarded a huge number of awards, including a gold medal from the Royal Society of London (1864).

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