Charles Darwin first publishes his theory of evolution through natural selection in The Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London, alongside Alfred Russel Wallace's same theory.

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 Darwin seated crop
Charles Darwin seated crop (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Charles Darwin 1816
Charles Darwin 1816 (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Young-Charles-Darwin-statue-by-Anthony-Smith-(Christ's-College-Cambridge)-3
Young-Charles-Darwin-statue-by-Anthony-Smith-(Christ's-College-Cambridge)-3 (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Darwin, detail from Augustus Earle (presumed) - Quarter Deck of a Man of War on Diskivery (sic) or interesting Scenes on an Interesting Voyage
Darwin, detail from Augustus Earle (presumed) - Quarter Deck of a Man of War on Diskivery (sic) or interesting Scenes on an Interesting Voyage (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

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Sources and further reading: Wikipedia — Charles Darwin, Evolution, Natural selection, Alfred Russel Wallace (CC BY-SA). Images: Wikimedia Commons.