Alfred Russel Wallace

1823

Born in Usk, Wales, one of five children. Father an impoverished solicitor.

1828

Family move to England. Wallace attends elementary school.

1837

Wallace leaves school to work with his brother who is a land surveyor.

1839

Wallace moves back to Hertford where he helps teach in a school.

1841

Meets H.W.Bates. Finds a like-minded soul interested in natural history.

1843

Wallace moves back to Wales as a surveyor. His interest in beetles develops.

1844

Proposes to Bates they go collecting with view to solving origin of species.

1848

Leaves for the Amazon with Bates as professional collectors.

1852

Leaves Amazon with final collection. Boat destroyed by fire. All is lost.

1854

Leaves for Malay Archipelago to continue collecting and search for origin of species.

1855

Writes Sarawak Law on closeness of species to fossil ancestors. Published in Annals of Natural History same year.

1856

Writes on characteristics of Orang-utan and similarities to man.

Writes article for Annals on similar characteristics in birds of unlikely affinity. Suggests formerly unknown relationship complicated by divergence of species over immense periods of time.

Writes letter to Darwin outlining radical views on species.

1857

Discovers evidence which contradicts Darwin’s views on migration of plants and animals to newly formed geological environments.

(September) Writes second letter to Darwin indicating evidence against migration theory.

(September) Writes to Annals, Zoological Society and Entomological Society criticising established views regarding varieties and species and urging new thinking.

1858

(March) Writes third letter to Darwin and encloses complete theory of evolution as we know it today.

(August) Publication of Wallace's theory of evolulution.

(October) Receives letter from Darwin’s friend Hooker containing a brief note from Charles Darwin breaking the news that Darwin and he had been declared co-founders of the theory of evolution to be known as the Darwin-Wallace theory. By this formula Charles Darwin is acknowledged to have proven priority in the idea.

1862

Wallace returns to England to be greeted as a great scientist for his work on evolution.

1913

Dies in London.