

On December 27, 1831, the HMS Beagle launched its voyage around the world with Darwin aboard. The voyage would prove the opportunity of a lifetime for the budding young naturalist.


The ship, commanded by Captain Robert FitzRoy, was to take a five-year survey trip around the world. After Darwin graduated Christ's College with a bachelor of arts degree in 1831, Henslow recommended him for a naturalist’s position aboard the HMS Beagle. While Darwin was at Christ's College, botany professor John Stevens Henslow became his mentor. His father suggested he study to become a parson instead, but Darwin was far more inclined to study natural history. His father hoped he would follow in his footsteps and become a medical doctor, but the sight of blood made Darwin queasy. Two years later, he became a student at Christ's College in Cambridge. In October 1825, at age 16, Darwin enrolled at University of Edinburgh along with his brother Erasmus. Darwin’s mother, Susanna, died when he was only eight years old. Darwin, was a medical doctor, and his grandfather, Dr. A child of wealth and privilege who loved to explore nature, Darwin was the second youngest of six kids.ĭarwin came from a long line of scientists: His father, Dr. Early Lifeĭarwin was born on February 12, 1809, in the tiny merchant town of Shrewsbury, England. In 1859, he published his landmark book, On the Origin of Species. In 1831, he embarked on a five-year voyage around the world on the HMS Beagle, during which time his studies of various plants and an led him to formulate his theories. Charles Robert Darwin was a British naturalist and biologist known for his theory of evolution and his understanding of the process of natural selection.
