This is an old answer to a school assignment. Incorrect and outdated information may occur. Some editing has been done.
Many who know a bit about the history of science know what Charles Darwin is known for. But who was he really? What was his original profession? And what was his childhood like? Here, I will tell you about his life and the theories he had.
Charles Darwin was one of several scientests who tried to prove the theory of evolution. It's often believed he was the one behind the theory, but Darwin was not the first to publish the theory of evolution. Aristotle, who lived in the 4th century BC, was the first to analyze the similarities and differences between humans and animals. He systematized and classified animals based on their anatomical structure. He once said that humans are the animal we know best. It was Jean Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829) who first launched the theory of evolution in 1801. He believed that the development of organisms is mainly due to the environment and properties could be inherited. In 1794, Charles' grandfather, Erasmus Darwin, tried to prove his theory that animal species are changeable. Charles Darwin is often associated as the "creator of the theory of evolution", but he was only a developer of the theory.
Charles Robert Darwin was born on February 9, 1809 in Shrewsbury, England. It wasn't long before he became interested in biology, and collecting animals, plants, shells, rocks, and other things from nature. One day he found two rare beetles. He took one beetle in each hand. Then a third beetle appeared, also rare. He put it in his mouth so as not to lose it. The beetle reacted by squirting out a nasty juice, so Darwin had to spit it out. This shows how interested and committed he was to his hobby.
Darwin started school in 1817. Darwin's father wanted Charles to study medicine, so Charles started studying medicine at the University of Edinburgh from 1825. In 1827, he quit after an episode he witnessed; His class had gone into an operating room to watch doctors amputate a man's foot. And at that time they did not have any form of anesthesia or sleeping pills. Darwin did not think it was a profession that suited him.
Darwin remained interested in biology after 1827, and he wanted to study biology. Charles Darwin studied botany and biology at Christ College until 1831. He joined several geological expeditions, including with Adam Sedgwick to Wales in the summer of 1831. Sedgwick was Darwin's geology teacher at Christ College.
“HMS Beagle” made the first surveying voyage to South America in 1828-1830. Captain FrizRoy had taken 4 natives from South America with him. His idea was to send them back as Christian missionaries. One of them died of smallpox. The 3 natives who survived were educated at FrizRoy's expense. The year after arriving in England, FrizRoy wanted to complete the research of the scientist King. King had been on HMS Beagles first voyage. FrizRoy wanted a biologist with him on the next voyage. FrizRoy was good friends with one of the professors at the university Darwin attended, so FrizRoy asked the professor if he knew of any participants. The professor immediately mentioned Charles Darwin. Although Charles wanted to go, his father refused to let him go, because of the price he had to pay. But Charles' father was convinced by FrizRoy that Charles should go. The first few days Charles was on board the "HMS Beagle", he was very seasick. But even though he was seasick, he was lucky; There were many participants competing to join the voyage. This voyage might be the most important voyage since Columbus.
On December 27, 1831, Darwin boarded the “HMS Beagle”. The voyage from England to Pahia, on the east coast of Brazil, took over a year and two months. HMS Beagle traveled extensively along the southern coast of America. Darwin was dropped off in Bahia Blanca, while FitzRoy led surveys along the Patagonian coast. Important discoveries were made. They had dug up bones of extinct animals, including sloths, armadillos and llamas. Darwin saw that they had features in common with some of the animals living today. Darwin believed he had his first evidences for the theory of evolution, which his grandfather had invented almost half a century earlier.
FrizRoy had also completed his project with his native people. Not long after the natives had returned to South America, they resumed their original way of life. In September 1835, the delegation reached the Galàpagos Islands. Darwin was amazed by the flora and fauna on the various islands. He looked for fossils and compared them with living animals. He then found that two or more animal species can indeed descend from one and the same species. Darwin found 14 species of finch on the Galapagos Islands. Among them was the "Tool-Using Finch", which used a cactus spike to catch food in holes in trees and in rock crevices. He also noticed different species of tortoises always had 13 plates in their shells, arranged in lines of 4+5+4 plates. The placement was the same, but the size, shape and edges of the shells were different. The plants and animals they took back to England were carefully examined for new biological discoveries. They found 71 different plant species on the islands, 38 of which existed only on the Galàpagos Islands. 30 of the plants that existed only on the Galàpagos Islands existed only on James Island.
Darwin saw a lot on the voyage with the “HMS Beagle”. One day while out riding, he spotted an armadillo burrowing into the sand before Darwin could get off his horse. He was surprised at how quickly it burrowed. The same day the “HMS Beagle” arrived at the Galàpagos Islands, some of the crew spotted some large lizards that looked like dragons. The “dragons” did not seem to react to or care about the crew. Darwin had to find out if the “dragons” were as peaceful as they seemed. He pushed one of them with the butt of his rifle. The “dragon” lost its balance but quickly got back up. Otherwise, there was no response from the “dragon”. Darwin thought they were not dangerous, but he wanted to be sure. He grabbed one of the “dragons” by the tail and swung it around him. The crew of the “HMS Beagle” were shocked. Darwin let go of the grip, and the “dragon” fell with a thud to the ground. The “dragon” no longer cared about Darwin or the rest of the crew. The lieutenant on board, Wickham, shook his head and said something like: “No one but you, Darwin, would be stupid enough to touch these creeps.” Darwin smiled and replied “Perhaps we could take one aboard, lieutenant?” What they called dragons were later renamed “Sea iguanas” or “Marine iguanas”.
On 2 October 1836, the “HMS Beagle” arrived in England. Personally, it was a brilliant success for FitzRoy. He went to New Zealand as governor. It ended in failure because the colonists disagreed with his liberal attitude towards the Maori.
About 2 years after his return, Darwin became secretary of the Geological Society until 1841. In 1839 he married his cousin, Emma Wedgwood, and in the same year he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. His book, "Journal of Researches during the Voyage of the Beagle", was also published in 1839. The first draft of the theory of evolution appeared in 1842, and was expanded into a 230-page article in 1844. Due to ill health in 1842, Darwin moved to Down House in Kent.
Darwin's evolution theories caused a big stir in the church. The priests did not like the theories because they offended and "opposed" the Christian faith. People in general were against parts of the theory. They believed that animals could have evolved from other animals. But they did not like the fact that we humans descended from apes. It was seen as an insult. Even though many later saw the similarity, they stuck to what they had thought before. Darwins theories were discussed internationally.
What Darwin meant by his theory of evolution was as simple as: “All living things originate from a primitive biological primordial cell that suddenly arose from inorganic, non-living matter. From the primordial cell, plants, animals, and humans spontaneously arose by natural selection and struggle for existence.” Evenn in his foreword of "On the Origin of Species", he mentiones how evolution has been put in use in farming.
During the last year Darwin was very ill, and Emma played the piano for him every day. He died on April 19, 1882. He had experienced many wonderful and exciting discoveries. Some of those who had accompanied Darwin on some of his voyages, or had been close to him, carried his coffin. The coffin was taken to Westminster Abbey, and placed in a grave next to Sir Isaac Newton.
Literature list:
We were with Charles Darwin on the “HMS Beagle” Clyde K. Kluckhohn
The Pioneers of Modern Science Dr. WH Brock, Jack Meadows & Dr. A. G Keller
Apes & Humans, Relationships & Evolution Kåre Elgmork
Big Names The Best
Scientific Discoveries: Darwin and Evolution, Steve Parker
The Enigma of Evolution Ruth Moore