Many happy returns Sir Charles Darwin. On this day in 1809, Charles Robert Darwin was born.  Later knighted, he is most famous for his groundbreaking theory of evolution through natural selection.  He was not alone in considering how species change over time.  The contribution of the remarkable Alfred Russel Wallace (1823 to 1913) is often overlooked. It was Wallace who jointly published ideas on natural selection and the origin of species with Charles Darwin.

Both of these great scientists fundamentally changed our understanding of the natural world and laid the foundation for modern botany and biology.

Sir Charles Darwin bust.

The Sir Charles Darwin bust on display at the Darwin Building of the Wellcome Trust in London. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.

Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur

To read an Everything Dinosaur blog post about Alfred Russel Wallace: Remembering the Contribution of Alfred Russel Wallace.

Sir Charles Darwin

Darwin was born in Shrewsbury (Shropshire) on the 12th of February 1809. His parents were wealthy, and his grandfather (Josiah Wedgwood) was the founder of the famous pottery company Wedgwood. His grandfather on his father’s side of the family was Erasmus Darwin, a doctor who was passionate about learning about natural history. Perhaps, it was the writing, poems and research of the young Darwin’s grandfather that first inspired him to study the natural world.  Sadly, Erasmus Darwin died before Charles Darwin was born.

Over a long and distinguished career Charles Darwin became one of the most influential thinkers of his age.  Charles Darwin attended both the University of Edinburgh and Cambridge University.  On a visit to Cambridge Mike and Sue of Everything Dinosaur visited the building where Darwin lived whilst he studied at Christ’s College.

Following Darwin’s epic five-year journey circumnavigating the globe on HMS Beagle, Darwin returned to England and began to build up evidence to support his ideas regarding natural selection.  This culminated in the publication of the “Origin of Species” in November 1859.

Darwin had formulated his theory around twenty years earlier.  However, he was wary about publishing as his ideas directly contradicted the biblical account of creation.  In 1858, Alfred Russel Wallace published a paper outlining natural selection.  In reaction to this Darwin joined Wallace and delivered a joint lecture on evolutionary theory at the Linnean Society of London.  The groundbreaking and revolutionary “Origin of Species” was published more than a year after.

To read our blog post about the 150th anniversary of the publication of the “Origin of Species”: Celebrating the Publication of the “Origin of Species”.

Happy birthday Sir Charles Darwin.

The award-winning Everything Dinosaur website: Prehistoric Animal Toys.