Charles Robert Darwin was a famous English naturalist born in 1809 who developed the theory of evolution through natural selection. After graduating from university, he traveled on the HMS Beagle from 1831-1836, studying plants and animals. Upon his return, he published On the Origin of Species in 1859 introducing his theory of evolution. He married his cousin Emma Wedgwood in 1839 and they had ten children, though some died young. Darwin made significant contributions to scientific thought and our understanding of life on Earth.