Portrait of Charles Darwin

Birthday profile

Charles Darwin

Charles Darwin, English naturalist, geologist, biologist and theorist (died 1882)

Born
February 12, 1809
Died
April 19, 1882
Zodiac sign
Aquarius
Birth year
1809

About Charles Darwin

Charles Robert Darwin was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all species of life have descended from a common ancestor is now generally accepted and considered a fundamental scientific concept. In a joint presentation with Alfred Russel Wallace, he introduced his scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process he called natural selection, in which the struggle for existence has a similar effect to the artificial selection involved in selective breeding. Darwin has been described as one of the most influential figures in human history and was honoured by burial in Westminster Abbey. Charles Robert Darwin ( DAR-win; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. Darwin's neglect of medical studies annoyed his father, who sent him to Christ's College, Cambridge in January 1828 to study for a Bachelor of Arts degree as the first step towards becoming an Anglican country parson. Along with his work on barnacles, it won him the Royal Medal in 1853.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Charles Darwin timeline

  1. Charles Robert Darwin ( DAR-win; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology.
  2. Darwin's neglect of medical studies annoyed his father, who sent him to Christ's College, Cambridge in January 1828 to study for a Bachelor of Arts degree as the first step towards becoming an Anglican country parson.
  3. Along with his work on barnacles, it won him the Royal Medal in 1853.

The world when Charles Darwin was born

Charles Darwin was born in 1809. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Headlines and milestones

  • Top headlineJames Madison inaugurated as 4th President
  • Technology milestoneFirst canning factory opens in England
  • World population~945M

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderJames Madison
  • U.S. population7.2M

1809 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Charles Darwin's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure18092026
Population7.2M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Library of Congress, Wikidata. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.