The Life and Theories of Charles Darwin Essay -- Biography Biographies

The Life and Theories of Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin was the fifth child of Robert Waring Darwinand Susannah Wedgewood. He was born on February 12, 1809 in Shrewsbury,England where his tiro practiced medicine. He attended ShrewsburyGrammar School which was a well-kn own secondary tutor which concentratedon teaching classic languages. Even as a boy Darwin loved science and hisenthusiasm for chemical studies earned him the name Gas from his friends.The headmaster at Shrewsbury, Dr. Samuel Butler noted, Heres a boy, playsaround with his gases and the rest of his rubbish and works at nothinguseful. He was in like manner an avid collector. Anything he could get his handson- shells, eggs, minerals and coins interested him. Darwin was expected to follow his father and be fall out a doctor and in1825, at the age of sixteen, his father removed him from Shrewsbury andentered him in the University of Edenburgh to study medicine. He found allof his classes except chemistry dull. After two years at Edenburg, hequit school and went to live with his Uncle Josiah Wedgewood. After heabandoned medicine, his father urged him to attend Cambridge University tostudy to be a clergyman. At Cambridge he met John Steven Henslow whohelped him regain his interest in nature. It was Henslow who wasinfluential in getting Darwin the position of naturalist on the boat TheBeagle. In April of 1831, he graduated from the University. In the fall following his graduation, the government resolute tosend the H.M.S. Beagle, under the command of Captain Fitzroy, to completean unfinished survey of Patagonia and Tierra Del Fuego to help map out theshores of Chile and Peru. Th e voyage w... ...rstand or explain whatever I observed and group a ll factsunder some general laws... On April 19, 1882 Darwin died of a heart attack. The family wantedDarwin to be buried in his home, the village of Downe. However, Parliamentrequested that he be buried in Westm inster Abbey, a cemetery for Britainskings and queens and intellectual giants. This was an indication of howfar Darwin had come towards universal acceptance and respectability.Darwins coffin lies next to Issac Newton which is only fitting becauseDarwin has been called The Newton of Biology. Darwin was modest of hismonumental achievements to the very end and said of himself shortly onwardshis death,With such moderate abilities as I possess, it is trulysurprising that I should have influenced to a considerable extent thebelief of scientific men on some important points.