Charles Robert Darwin, an English naturalist, geologist, and biologist, was born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire. He is widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology.

Charles Darwin was baptised in the Anglican St Chad's Church, Shrewsbury. However, Charles and his siblings attended the local Unitarian Church with their mother.

Charles Darwin joined the day school run by its preacher. He already had a taste for natural history and collecting.

Charles Darwin's mother died.

Charles Darwin joined his older brother Erasmus in attending the nearby Anglican Shrewsbury School as a boarder.

Charles Darwin spent the summer as an apprentice doctor, helping his father treat the poor of Shropshire.

Charles Darwin went to the University of Edinburgh Medical School with his brother Erasmus.

Charles Darwin presented at the Plinian Society his own discovery that black spores found in oyster shells were the eggs of a skate leech.

Charles Darwin was sent to Christ's College, Cambridge, to study for a Bachelor of Arts degree as the first step towards becoming an Anglican country parson.

Some of Darwin's beetle finds were published in James Francis Stephens' Illustrations of British entomology.

Darwin did well in his final examination, coming tenth out of 178 candidates for the ordinary degree.

Darwin travelled with Adam Sedgwick to spend a fortnight mapping strata in Wales.

The voyage of the HMS Beagle began with Charles Darwin aboard as a naturalist. The ship was to chart the coastline of South America.

Darwin experienced an earthquake in Chile and saw signs that the land had just been raised, including mussel-beds stranded above high tide.

The HMS Beagle anchored at Falmouth, Cornwall. Darwin promptly made the journey to Shrewsbury to visit his home and see relatives.

Charles Lyell met Darwin for the first time and soon introduced him to Richard Owen, who had the facilities of the Royal College of Surgeons to work on the fossil bones collected by Darwin.

Darwin read his first paper, showing that the South American landmass was slowly rising, to the Geological Society of London. On the same day, he presented his mammal and bird specimens to the Zoological Society.

Darwin was elected to the Council of the Geological Society.

Darwin announced how the distribution of two rhea species changed going southwards.

Darwin began correcting printer's proofs for his Journal.

Darwin presented his theory on the role of earthworms in soil formation at the Geological Society.

Darwin accepted the post of Secretary of the Geological Society.

Darwin noted the childlike behavior of an orangutan in the zoo.

Darwin read Malthus's 'An Essay on the Principle of Population' and developed his theory of natural selection.

Darwin was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS).

Darwin and Emma Wedgwood were married at Maer in an Anglican ceremony, then immediately caught the train to London and their new home.

FitzRoy's long-delayed Narrative was published. Darwin's Journal and Remarks got good reviews as the third volume, and on 15 August it was published on its own.

Darwin wrote about his ideas to Charles Lyell, who noted that his ally "denies seeing a beginning to each crop of species".

Darwin's book 'The Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs' was published.

The Darwin family moved to rural Down House in Kent.

Darwin mentioned his theorising to the botanist Joseph Dalton Hooker, writing with melodramatic humour "it is like confessing a murder".

Darwin completed his third geological book.

Hooker read Darwin's "Essay" and sent notes that provided Darwin with the calm critical feedback that he needed.

Darwin went to Dr. James Gully's Malvern spa and was surprised to find some benefit from hydrotherapy.

Darwin's daughter Annie died after a long series of crises.

Darwin earned the Royal Society's Royal Medal.

Darwin became a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London, gaining postal access to its library.

Darwin began writing a short paper on species.

Darwin sent the American botanist Asa Gray a detailed outline of his ideas, including an abstract of Natural Selection, which omitted human origins and sexual selection.

Darwin received a paper from Wallace describing natural selection.

Darwin's baby son died of scarlet fever.

Lyell and Hooker decided on a joint presentation at the Linnean Society of On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties; and on the Perpetuation of Varieties and Species by Natural Means of Selection.

On the Origin of Species went on sale to booksellers.

The public 1860 Oxford evolution debate took place during a meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science.

Darwin began growing a beard.

Lyell's Geological Evidences of the Antiquity of Man popularised prehistory.

Darwin was awarded the Royal Society's Copley Medal.

Darwin's book 'The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication' was published.

Darwin's book 'The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex' was published.

Darwin first used the word evolution in The Descent of Man.

Darwin's book 'The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals' was published.

Marsh delivered a very influential speech before the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, providing a demonstrative argument for evolution.

Darwin wrote that "I have never been an atheist in the sense of denying the existence of a God. – I think that generally ... an agnostic would be the most correct description of my state of mind".

Charles Darwin died at Down House.

Charles Darwin was buried in Westminster Abbey.

Francis Galton named the field of study "eugenics".