bˈɔːɹn ˌɔn tˈuː mˈeɪ nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi ˈeɪt ænd ˈɛdʒuːkˌeɪɾᵻd ɪn nˈɔːɹθ wˈeɪlz æt ɹˈuːæbən bˈɔɪz ɡɹˈæmɚ skˈuːl, ˈɛvənz ɹˈiːd nˈætʃɚɹəl sˈaɪənsᵻz æt tʃˈɜːtʃɪl kˈɑːlɪdʒ, kˈeɪmbɹɪdʒ tˈeɪkɪŋ ɐ fˈɜːst klˈæs dᵻɡɹˈiː ænd əbtˈeɪnd ɐ dˈɑːktɚɹˌeɪt ɪn ˌɪnoːɹɡˈænɪk kˈɛmɪstɹi fɹʌm ɪmpˈɪɹiəl kˈɑːlɪdʒ lˈʌndən, wˈɜːkɪŋ ɪnðə lˈæbɹətˌɔːɹi ʌv pɹəfˈɛsɚ sˌɜː dʒˈɛfɹi wˈɪlkɪnsən.
Born on 2 May 1948 and educated in North Wales at Ruabon Boys Grammar school, Evans read Natural Sciences at Churchill College, Cambridge taking a first class degree and obtained a doctorate in inorganic chemistry from Imperial College London, working in the laboratory of Professor Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson.