Authors
Charles Darwin
1809 – 1882
Charles Darwin was an English naturalist who spent years studying plants, animals, and fossils around the world, including his famous voyage on the ship HMS Beagle. His observations led him to the theory of evolution by natural selection, explaining how living things change and adapt over time — though he sat on the idea for roughly 20 years, only rushing it into print after naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace independently arrived at a similar theory. His book On the Origin of Species became one of the most important scientific books ever written, and, in a curious coincidence, Darwin was born on the very same day as Abraham Lincoln: February 12, 1809.
Quotes
“I love fools' experiments. I am always making them.”
“I discovered that the pleasure of observing and reasoning was a much higher one than that of skill and sport.”
“Science consists in grouping facts so that general laws or conclusions may be drawn from them.”
“A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life.”
“I hate a Barnacle as no man ever did before, not even a Sailor in a slow-sailing ship.”
“Nothing can be more improving to a young naturalist, than a journey in distant countries.”
“No one has a right to speculate without distinct facts.”