Charles Darwin : Death Centenary(1809-1882)

Charles Darwin, born in 1809 in Shrewsbury, England, was the fifth child of Robert and Susannah Darwin. From a young age, he showed a keen interest in natural history, travel, and poetry. After attending Shrewsbury School, he briefly studied medicine at Edinburgh University before transferring to Christ’s College, Cambridge, where he pursued theology.

In 1831, at the age of twenty-two, Darwin embarked on a monumental voyage aboard the HMS Beagle as a naturalist. Over the next five years, the Beagle circumnavigated the globe, visiting various locations such as South America, the Galapagos Islands, Australia, and Africa. Darwin meticulously recorded his observations of the diverse flora and fauna he encountered, which played a crucial role in shaping his later theories.

During the voyage, Darwin was particularly struck by the variations among species, especially the differences in animals and birds of the same species living on different Galapagos Islands. These observations, combined with his studies of fossils and geological formations, led him to develop his groundbreaking theory of evolution by natural selection.

Darwin’s seminal works, “On the Origin of Species” (1859) and “The Descent of Man” (1871), revolutionized scientific understanding by proposing that all species of life have evolved over time through a process of natural selection. His ideas sparked significant debate and controversy but profoundly influenced human thought and scientific inquiry.

After the voyage, Darwin settled at Down House in Kent, where he devoted the remainder of his life to research and writing. He passed away on April 19, 1882, and was buried near Isaac Newton in Westminster Abbey.

The Indian Posts & Telegraphs Department commemorates the memory of this great naturalist with a special postage stamp, recognizing his immense contributions to science and our understanding of the natural world.