A five-year voyage on the HMS Beagle changed Charles Darwin’s life. His findings on that expedition helped shape scientific theory that is still relevant today.
Darwin was born in Shrewsbury, England, on Feb. 12, 1809, to a wealthy family. He was the fifth of six children. As a youngster, he loved exploring nature. His dad was a medical doctor and his grandfather was a famous botanist. Darwin’s mom died when he was 8.
Darwin’s father wanted him to become a medical doctor, but he couldn’t stand the sight of blood. His father suggested he become a parson and work in the church. Darwin agreed, thinking that this would give him more time to study nature. When he finished school in 1831, instead of going to work for the church, he was hired as a naturalist and went to work aboard the HMS Beagle. It was a dream come true for him.
The ship traveled the world and Darwin collected samples and specimens of things like plants, birds and fossils. He took notes, made drawings and studied everything he could find about the places he visited.
Darwin was especially intrigued by South America and the Galapagos Islands.
During his travels, Darwin noticed that there were many species across the world that were similar but had significant variations that were unique to their location. For example, he found finches in many places, but the ones that ate bugs had beaks that were shaped one way and the finches that ate mostly seeds had beaks that were shaped another way.
Darwin studied his findings and did his best to come up with a reason for what he found. When he returned to England in 1836, Darwin chronicled his findings in a piece called “Journal of Researches.” It was published as part of Captain FitzRoy’s larger narrative about the trip. Later, it was edited into the Zoology of the Voyage of the Beagle.
Darwin continued to study natural science and in 1859 he published On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection. It is his best known work. It introduced the theory of evolution to the world.
