LIFE Photo Collection
Charles Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, England in 1809. He found an early interest in natural history and biology, a passion which he developed and refined, and which ultimately led to publication in 1859 of his groundbreaking book, On the Origin of Species.
Scroll on, and in each Street View panel use the arrows or click-and-drag, to explore the places which made the man, from his own origins to the far reaches of his voyages of discovery and back.
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University of Edinburgh
In 1825 his parents sent him to Edinburgh to study medicine, but he suffered from boredom and squeamishness. Instead, his youthful passion for the natural world drove him to learn taxidermy, taxonomy, and aid in building the university's natural history collections.
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Christ's College Cambridge
With his medical studies in disarray, he was sent to Cambridge to prepare him for work in the church. Here, Darwin continued to neglect his studies, but he found an interest in beetle collecting and came to see science as a form of natural theology.
Engraving of the Beagle in the Straits of Magellan (1913) by Robert Taylor Pritchett (1828-1907)The Royal Society
At Cambridge, Darwin had read the geographer and explorer Alexander von Humbolt's Personal Narrative, an account of his five years travelling the globe. Darwin resolved to follow in his footsteps, and in 1831 fortunately found a place on the research ship, HMS Beagle.
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Santiago, Cape Verde
The Beagle's planned voyage would last two years. Their first landfall was at Cape Verde. Here, Darwin found seashells on top of the volcanic cliffs, confirming some of the geological theories that had bored him at Edinburgh, and he began to think of writing a book of his own.
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Copacabana
In early 1832, the Beagle crossed the Atlantic and arrived in Brazil. By 4 April they had reached Rio de Janeiro. Darwin spent much of his time travelling inland to collect specimens. He also encountered the horrifying conditions of slavery, and argued with the Beagle's captain.
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Galapagos Islands
The Beagle reached the Galapagos Islands on 15 September 1835. In geological terms, these islands are relatively new, so Darwin spent his time searching for animals that perhaps came from another, older 'centre of creation'.
Darwin's finches (1835)The Natural History Museum
Darwin's Finches
Darwin's finches were collected across the islands of the Galapagos archipelago. He was notoriously clumsy at naming and labelling, and neglected to note where he had found them - a major oversight, as the variation in these finches would later support his theories of evolution.
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Land Ho!
On the 2 October, 1836, the Beagle landed at Falmouth on the south west coast of England, completing its voyage. That same day, Darwin boarded the coach to London to share his discoveries. Today, the exact location, and the town's civic pride, is marked by a stone plaque.
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Down House
By 1842, Darwin had tired of London life. He and his family moved to Down House in rural Kent, which would remain his home for the rest of his life. Here, he began the work of piecing together the data he had painstakingly gathered over the years.
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The Sandwalk
Sometimes we need to take a break to do our best thinking, and Darwin was no different. Every day in Kent he took a walk down this 'thinking path'. Follow in his footsteps and discover the abundant wildlife of these quiet hedgerows.
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Burlington House
In 1858, Darwin was forced to hurriedly publish his drafts on natural selection to the Linnean Society at Burlington House, now the Royal Academy. He struggled for another 13 months to finish the full book, but when he finally did, On the Origin of Species became a bestseller.
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Westminster Abbey
In early 1882, Darwin was diagnosed with 'angina pectoris'. He died at home on the 19th of April. He had intended to be buried in the local church, but was instead honoured by burial in Wesminster Abbey, alongside John Herschel, Isaac Newton, and the monarchs of England.
Alfred Russell Wallace in his later yearsThe Natural History Museum
Much like the evolutionary process, science is a competitive business! Read more and learn about Alfred Russel Wallace, who came up with the idea of evolution by natural selection independently of Darwin.
