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Charles Darwin

Portrait of Darwin in his late 20s

Charles Darwin is one of the great names of 19th century science, permanently linked to solving the riddle of evolution.

Born in 1809, Darwin tried at first to follow his fathers’ footsteps into medicine, then studied theology before embarking on a career as a naturalist. The young Darwin became a household name in Britain after publishing his account of a five-year scientific voyage on HMS Beagle.

This fame was just a foretaste of things to come when he published On the Origin of Species in 1859 which set out a comprehensive theory of evolution.

The commonly accepted public view has been that Darwin was in a breakneck race to be first to solve the evolution question, spurred on by news that Alfred Russel Wallace was about to publish his own theories after many years studying wildlife in tropical jungles. In reality Darwin’s own research had led him into a dead-end. 

HMS Beagle, by Conrad Martens

Darwin knew he had to act swiftly. He rewrote early drafts of his work to include findings made by Wallace and claimed to his circle of scientific friends he had beaten all the competition. An eminent botanist and a geologist were drafted in to support his assertion and the greatest scientific honour was awarded to Charles Robert Darwin.

 

 

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7th November 2008
meet the author @ Waterstone's Bookshop, Richmond, London

22nd November 2008
meet the author @ Linnean Society, Piccadilly, London

27th January 2009
meet the author @ Natural History Society, Northampton

February 2009 – 200th anniversary of birth of Charles Darwin

2nd February 2009
meet the author @ Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution, Bath

November 2009 – 150th anniversary of publication of On the Origin of Species in London