Charles Darwin

Awards & Honours

Awards Won

Honours

Rankings

Records

Darwin's greatest accolade is the enduring impact of his theory, which reshaped biology. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1839 and received its Royal Medal in 1853. The Geological Society awarded him the Wollaston Medal in 1859. His burial in Westminster Abbey, near Isaac Newton, is a rare honor for a scientist. Dozens of species, including Darwin's finches, are named after him. The Darwin Medal, awarded by the Royal Society, and the Darwin-Wallace Medal, by the Linnean Society, perpetuate his name.

AwardsDarwin received the Royal Medal from the Royal Society in 1853 for his geological work, particularly his coral reef theory. This was the highest honor he received during his lifetime. He was also awarded the Wollaston Medal by the Geological Society of London in 1859. Posthumously, his legacy has been honored through numerous institutions and awards named after him, but he did not win additional competitive awards.

Honours & Distinctions

Burial in Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey·1882

Honored with burial in the Abbey near Sir Isaac Newton.

Fellow of the Royal Society

Royal Society·1839

Elected as a Fellow for his contributions to natural history.

Rankings & Lists

#Listed

100 Most Important People of the 20th Century

TIME·1999

Greatest Scientists of All Time

BBC History·2010

Records & Feats

First to propose a coherent mechanism for evolution

Historic First·1859

Darwin and Wallace independently developed the theory of evolution by natural selection, but Darwin's 1859 book provided the first comprehensive evidence.