1859

Darwin publishes On the Origin of Species

Science · Europe · United Kingdom

Darwin proposed that species change over generations through variation and selection — design without a designer, accumulated small steps.

Why it matters

Evolution by natural selection gave life sciences their unifying engine and relocated humanity within nature. Its mechanism — variation, selection, retention — even illuminates cultures, markets and software.

People

Charles Darwin

Related events

Sources

  • Encyclopædia Britannica — Darwin