evidence: As an educated young man, he embarked on an astounding voyage of discovery aboard a Royal Navy ship. Strange animals and plants he saw in remote places inspired his deep thinking about how life might have developed. And when he published his masterpiece, "On the Origin of Species," he profoundly shook up the scientific world. Darwin's influence on modern science is impossible to overstate. Fast Facts: Charles Darwin Known For: Originating the theory of evolution through natural selectionBorn: February 12, 1809 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, EnglandParents: Robert Waring Darwin and Susannah WedgwoodDied: April 19, 1882 in Downe, Kent, EnglandEducation: Edinburgh University, Scotland, Cambridge University, EnglandPublished Works: On the Origin of Species By Means of Natural SelectionAwards and Honors: Royal Medal, Wallaston Medal, Copley Medal (all for outstanding achievements in the sciences)Spouse: Emma WedgwoodChildren: William Erasmus Darwin, Anne Elizabeth Darwin, Mary Eleanor Darwin, Henrietta Emma Darwin, George Howard Darwin, Elizabeth Darwin, Francis Darwin, Leonard Darwin, Horace Darwin, Charles Waring Darwin Notable Quote: "In the struggle for survival, the fittest win out at the expense of their rivals because they succeed in adapting themselves best to their environment." Early Life Charles Darwin was born on February 12, 1809, in Shrewsbury, England.