Charles Darwin Timeline

  • Scientific Results From One Of Darwin's Voyages

    Darwin established that the South American continent is gradually rising from the ocean. Charles Lyell, whose geology book influenced Darwin on the voyage, arranged for Darwin to present this work to the Geological Society of London at the beginning of 1837.
  • Natural Selection

    By December 1838 Darwin was mulling over how breeders improve domestic animals by selecting the animals with the best qualities. In the natural world the selection is carried out by the environment. The lifeforms best adapted to the environment survive and breed. This is natural selection. In 1842 he wrote his first paper on what came to be known as evolution by natural selection, but only for his own use.
  • The Orgin of species

    Darwin’s game-changing book On the Origin of Species – often called the most important book in the history of biology – became available to the public on November 24, 1859; booksellers immediately sold all 1250 copies. Darwin avoided making any claims for the origin a particular species, such as Homo sapiens.
    Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882. On The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life. London :John Murray, 1859. Print.
  • The Decent of Man

    In 1871 Darwin’s The Descent of Man presented evidence that humans are animals – we are members of the ape family, and are the descendants of apes.
    During Darwin’s lifetime, there was fierce opposition to his theory.
    Darwin, Charles. The Descent of Man: And Selection in Relation to Sex. London: J. Murray, 1871. Print. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAKppAtIeh8