How was the theory of evolution developed?

The modern theory of evolution was developed by Charles Darwin, an amateur English naturalist, in the 19th century. He proposed that all of the millions of species of organisms present today, including humans, evolved slowly over billions of years, from a common ancestor by the way of natural selection.

Charles Darwin traveled to the Galapagos Islands and observed that there were several different types of species of finches and tortoises. These different species of animals were contained to separate islands, all tailored fit for each island. This gave Darwin the idea that species evolve over time into new species.