1859Reputable sourceWell documented
Darwin's On the Origin of Species
On the timeline · around 1859 · Modern
What happened
Charles Darwin published his theory of evolution by natural selection.
Why it matters
Unified biology and transformed humanity's understanding of life and its own origins.
How we know
The 1859 publication and the vast body of corroborating evidence gathered since.
Sources
- Encyclopædia Britannica. On the Origin of Species · Reputable source