Who is Charles Darwin and what did he do?

Charles Robert Darwin (February 12, 1809 to April 19, 1882) was a naturalist and biologist known for his theory of evolution and the process of natural selection. Born in Shrewsbury, England, in 1831 he embarked on a five-year survey voyage around the world on the HMS Beagle; his studies of specimens led him to formulate his theories. read more

Charles Darwin did not invent anything but he discovered a lot as a scientist and naturalist; and, as an author, he impacted science and the way we think about our world. He developed and proposed a theory about evolution. read more

He had expected to be buried in St Mary's churchyard at Downe, but at the request of Darwin's colleagues, after public and parliamentary petitioning, William Spottiswoode (President of the Royal Society) arranged for Darwin to be honoured by burial in Westminster Abbey, close to John Herschel and Isaac Newton. read more