The Life and Letters of Charles Darwin

Cover of the original edition of 1887.
Author	Charles Darwin, edited by Francis Darwin
Country	England
Language	English
Publisher	John Murray, London
Released	1887

The Autobiography of Charles Darwin is the autobiography of the British naturalist Charles Darwin which was published in 1887, five years after his death. Charles Robert Darwin (12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an eminent English naturalist who achieved lasting fame by convincing the scientific community that species develop over time from a common origin. ... Sir Francis Darwin, F.R.S. (August 16th 1848 - 19th September 1925) was the botanist son of Charles Darwin. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2006 est. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. ... Cover of An autobiography, from the Greek auton, self, bios, life and graphein, write, is a biography written by the subject or composed conjointly with a collaborative writer (styled as told to or with). The term dates from the late eighteenth century, but the form is much older. ... Charles Robert Darwin (12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an eminent English naturalist who achieved lasting fame by convincing the scientific community that species develop over time from a common origin. ... 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. ...

Darwin wrote the book, which he entitled Recollections of the Development of my Mind and Character, for his family. He states that he started writing it on about May 28, 1876 and had finished it by August 3. The Darwin — Wedgwood family was a prominent English family, descended from Erasmus Darwin and Josiah Wedgwood, the most notable member of which was Charles Darwin. ... May 28 is the 148th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (149th in leap years). ... 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... August 3 is the 215th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (216th in leap years), with 150 days remaining. ...

The book was edited by Charles Darwin's son Francis Darwin, who removed several passages about Darwin's critical views of God and Christianity (see Charles Darwin's views on religion). It was published in London by John Murray as part of The life and letters of Charles Darwin, including an autobiographical chapter. Sir Francis Darwin, F.R.S. (August 16th 1848 - 19th September 1925) was the botanist son of Charles Darwin. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... Charles Darwin (1809 — 1882), who proposed the theory of evolution by means of natural selection. ... John Murray is a British publishing house, renowned for the roster of authors it has published in its history, including Jane Austen, Lord Byron and Charles Darwin. ...

The omitted passages were later restored by Darwin's granddaughter Nora Barlow in a 1958 edition to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the publication of The Origin. This edition was published in London by Collins under the title of The Autobiography of Charles Darwin 1809-1882. With the original omissions restored. Edited and with appendix and notes by his grand-daughter Nora Barlow. Emma Nora Barlow (née Darwin; 1885 -1989), granddaughter of the British naturalist Charles Darwin, edited and published previously unseen examples of her grandfathers work. ... Year 1958 (MCMLVIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The title page of the 1859 edition of On the Origin of Species. ...

The original is in the public domain as its copyright has expired, but the later version remains under copyright. Both are available online at Darwin Online. The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... Copyright symbol Copyright is a set of exclusive rights regulating the use of a particular expression of an idea or information. ...

References

• Darwin Online: Life and Letters and Autobiography
• Darwin, C.R. (ed by Barlow, N) ;The Autobiography of Charles Darwin ISBN 0-393-31069-8 (1993 paperback edition)

External links

• Project Gutenberg's copy of the original version