Darwin's life
Charles Robert Darwin (1809-1882) was born in Shrewsbury, England. He was the grandson of the noted physician and naturalist Erasmus Darwin, who had proposed a theory of evolution in the 1790's. As a boy, Charles often heard his grandfather's theories discussed.
Darwin studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh and theology at Cambridge University. He received a bachelor's degree from Cambridge in 1831. From 1831 to 1836, Darwin served as a naturalist with a British scientific expedition aboard the H.M.S. Beagle. The expedition visited places throughout the world, and he studied plants and animals everywhere it went. While on the journey, he collected fossils and other specimens for future study.
Darwin returned to England in 1836 and settled in London. He spent the rest of his life studying specimens, doing experiments, corresponding with other scientists, and writing about his findings. Darwin's early books included The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs (1842) and a journal of his research aboard the Beagle.
In 1839, Darwin married his cousin Emma Wedgwood. The family moved to Downe, near Croydon, in 1842, and Darwin lived there until his death. He was buried in Westminster Abbey in London.
Excerpt adapted from the "Charles Darwin" article, The World Book Encyclopedia © 1999