Charles Darwin
Description
Charles Rober Darwin (1809-1882) was a British biologist and naturalist best known for his theory of evolution and the process of natural selection. [2] He transformed the way humans understand the natural world and was a true revolutionary. In current society, he is celebrated as one of the best and brightest British scientists who ever lived, but when he was alive his theories were deemed radical and created conflict between himself and the members of the Church of England.[3]
Early Life
Charles Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England on February 12, 1809, seemingly already with his fascination of the natural world. As a child, he was an avid reader, specifically of nature books, and spent his spare time exploring and collecting plants and insects from the woodlands and fields around his childhood home. In 1825, at the age of 16, Darwin enrolled in medical school at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. While in medical school, he witnessed surgery on a child, and upon watching this procedure, he gave up his studies. This is because surgeries at the time were carried out with no anesthetic or antiseptics, and fatalities were very common, so it was a very traumatizing experience to endure. Darwin was not just studying medicine in Edinburgh, he was also receiving lessons in taxidermy from a former enslaved man, John Edmonstone. This skill would prove to be crucial as he continued into his career. Upon leaving Scotland, Darwin went to Cambridge University to study theology. [3]
References
- ↑ Bob Thomas, Popperfoto via Getty Images, Getty Images
- ↑ Charles Darwin - Theory, Book & Quotes. 2021, March 29. . https://www.biography.com/scientists/charles-darwin.
- ↑ Jump up to: 3.0 3.1 Charles Darwin, History’s most famous biologist, Natural History Museum. https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/charles-darwin-most-famous-biologist.html.
- ↑ Ellen Wallace Sharples, via University of Bristol