Charles R. Darwin came from a big family. Highly respected doctor, Robert Darwin, expected great things from his son. Because of the fact that her father owned a famous china factory, Susannah Darwin was wealthy. Charles had four sisters:Marianne, Caroline, Cathrine and Susan. He also had one brother, Erasmus. He loved their house, called “The Mount”, which was located on the serene and beautiful bank of River Severn. Walking in the gardens, he would collect eggs, leaves, bugs, and pebbles of different s8izes and shapes. His family was lively,happy, and big.
Charles went to a boarding school in Cambridge, England. He hated it because it was very crowded. He left two years early and went to a large medical school in Scotland. After watching a small child operated on without pain killers, he decided medicine wasn't for him. Transferring to Christ's College, he wanted to see if the life of a clergy man was right for him. Sadly, even at Christ's College, he was bored by his studies. While at Christ's college, he became close to his cousin, William who taught him how to classify bugs and specimens. Charles' father was upset, because Charles kept changing professions.
When Darwin's friend, Dr. Henslow told him about the Beagle, he was excited. In December of 1831, the Beagle set sail on a two year voyage. Unexpectedly, it ended up being five years. Darwin spent those years collecting and exploring the land and the sea. visiting many places, although Darwin made many interesting discoveries, most were made in the Galapagos. But, most of the discoveries he made were in the Galapagos. He collected plants, animals, and fossils. He found that in different locations, breeds of animals and bugs which evolved to match their environments. Experiencing an earthquake and watching a volcano erupt were enough to make Darwin realize that the earth was forever evolving. After participating in these natural disasters, he decided the Galapagos were an amazing set of islands.
Darwin published the “Origin of the Species” in 1856, which was 23 years after he returned to England. spending the many years sifting through data he had found , he was too nervous to publish his ideas on evolution. After publication, much debate took place about the book and Darwin himself. Gradually scientists believed Darwin's views. The church continued to not agree because Darwin's theory made God irrelevant. Lively scientific debates occurred after the book's publication. Currently, there are many people who believe in Darwin's theory.
Darwin began to write his autobiography with his friend's help. Surprisingly, the last book he published was on lowly earth worms. He had a heart attack, which is thought to be what killed him. At age 73, Darwin died in 1882. publishing of his autobiography occurred in 1887. Since he was able to do what he wanted during life, he had an admirable, and fascinating life.
