Discover Evolutionary Delights: Top 6 Fun Facts About Charles Darwin You Never Knew

1. The Hoarding Naturalist

Whoever said nothing good comes from hoarding clearly never met Charles Darwin: This passionate collector gathered thousands of specimens, including plants, animals, and rocks, during his voyage on the HMS Beagle, which provided crucial evidence for his groundbreaking work on evolution and natural selection.
Source => amnh.org

2. Pigeon Co-Stars

In a plot twist fit for a blockbuster, pigeons, not just finches, co-starred in Charles Darwin's journey to unlocking the secrets of evolution: The famed naturalist bred these birds in his garden and even donated fancy breeds to the Museum in 1867, using them as vital evidence in his theory of evolution by natural selection, ultimately demonstrating the similarities between artificial selection and natural selection in his monumental book, On the Origin of Species.
Source => nhm.ac.uk

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3. Darwin's Cash App Crew

Before they were offering Darwin a shoulder to lean on, and way before "BFF" bracelets were a thing: Charles Darwin's cash app crew at Cambridge University included rock star geologist Adam Sedgwick and fellow plant lover John Henslow. But it was Henslow who really nurtured Darwin's budding career, ultimately recommending him for the swanky gig as naturalist on the HMS Beagle.
Source => necsi.edu

4. Charles "Dine-win"

Call him Charles "Dine-win": Darwin's culinary escapades included munching on pumas, snacking on iguanas, and accidentally devouring his feathery research subjects. This adventurous appetite wasn't limited to his voyage aboard the Beagle; back at Cambridge University, Darwin joined the Glutton Club where he feasted on exotic fowl with his pals, until they choked down a brown owl and realized their tastes were more suited to writing about animals than eating them.
Source => npr.org

5. The Darwin Love Debate

Though it may sound like the plot of a Victorian-era sitcom featuring debates over tea and biscuits, Charles Darwin and his wife Emma had a love story that delved into deeper questions: The couple often found themselves engaged in conversations about Christianity, with Emma holding firm to her Unitarian beliefs, while Charles leaned more toward agnosticism. Amidst intellectual and theological discourse, they raised 10 children in a progressive, non-authoritarian household, resulting in several highly successful progeny who would later become fellows of the Royal Society.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

6. Millionaire Evolutionist

Like a nervous contestant on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" itching to hit the 'Publish' button but fearing the lifeline liftoff, Charles Darwin had one pricey request to ensure his best-seller shot to stardom: In a touching letter to his wife, Darwin requested 400 pounds for the publication of his "Species Theory." Alas, his meticulous nature and tireless quest for evidence meant that the world had to wait over a decade for the masterpiece to adorn library shelves.
Source => age-of-the-sage.org