Facts and Trivia: The Infamous Charles Darwin II

Charles Darwin was a great influence in the world of science, as he concentrated his studies and theories on the evolution of plants, animals and humans. Because of his effort and accomplishments, Darwin is considered one of the most influential figures in human history. In this article, you will learn more about this important English naturalist.

11. The geographical distribution of wildlife and fossils that he collected during his 5-year voyage stumped Darwin, so he started to investigate in detail his finds. In 1838, he generated the theory of natural selection.  

12. In Darwin’s final book, he took a look at earthworms and their effect on soil.

13. Not only was Emma Darwin married to Charles Darwin, she was also his first cousin. They married on January 29, 1839, and became the parents to 10 children. Three of their offspring died at an early age.

14. Charles Darwin was influenced by Alexander von Humboldt (a German naturalist and explorer who worked with botanical geography), John Herschel (made several contributions to the science of photography, as well as studied color blindness, and the chemical power of ultraviolet rays), and Darwin’s good friend, Charles Lyell, who wrote the book Principles of Geology, which popularized James Hutton’s concepts of uniformitarianism.

15. The work of Charles Darwin influenced many scientists that came after him, including Darwin’s good friend Joseph Dalton Hooker (one of the greatest British botanists and explorers of the 19th century), Thomas Henry Huxley (an English biologist who was one of Darwin’s greatest advocates for the theory of evolution), George Romanes (Canadian-born English evolutionary biologist and physiologist who came up with the term ‘neo-Darwinism’), and Ernst Haeckel (German biologist and naturalist that coined many terms in biology).

16. Throughout his lifetime, Darwin earned several notable awards, including the Royal Medal (1853), Wollaston Medal (1859), and Copley Medal (1864).
 
17. Darwin wrote ‘The Voyage of the Beagle’ , a book title given to the published works of Charles Darwin that came out of his journey at sea. It was published in 1839 under ‘Journal and Remarks.’ He gained a great deal of fame and respect from the writings. The book chronicles his second survey expedition of the HMS Beagle, the ship Darwin traveled on during the 1830s. The expedition was originally set to last two years, but continued on for nearly five years.

18. On his travels with the HMS Beagle, Darwin explored land for a total of three years and three months, and spent 18 months at sea.

19. In 1851, Darwin was in a devastated state when his daughter Annie died. She was born March 2, 1841 and died on April 23, 1851 after she contracted the scarlet fever. By this time, his faith in Christianity had greatly declined and he had stopped attending church.

20. The scientific strides that Darwin made earned him special honors when he died, a significant ceremonial funeral was held at Westminster Abbey. He was buried in close proximity to John Herschel and Isaac Newton.