Historedia
Person

Alfred Russel Wallace

Events
2
Episodes
8
Years
1844–1858

Every event in Historedia whose sources name Alfred Russel Wallace, with the role they cite and all of that event’s episodes. This is not a biography, and mentions are grouped by name, so two people with the same name can share this page.

Events and episodes

  1. Chambers publishes Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation

    1844–1850

    Role: Reader

    1. October 1844 · LondonAnonymous Publication in London

      John Churchill published the first edition anonymously in London in October 1844, following Chambers' dictation in St Andrews.

    2. November 1844 · UnknownDarwin Reads Vestiges

      Charles Darwin read the book in November 1844, noting it drew on evidence he had gathered and introduced questions to be dealt with.

    3. 1845 · UnknownWallace Influenced by Vestiges

      Reading Vestiges in 1845 first inclined Alfred Russel Wallace to believe that the transmutation of species occurred.

    4. 1845 · UnknownSuspicion of Chambers' Authorship

      Robert Chambers became a prominent suspect as early as spring 1845, with direct accusations arising later.

    5. 1845 · UnknownRoyal Reading of Vestiges

      Prince Albert read Vestiges aloud to Queen Victoria in 1845, indicating its reach into high society.

    6. 1850 · UnknownSedgwick's Attack on Vestiges

      Adam Sedgwick added a lengthy preface attacking Vestiges and theories of development to the 5th edition of his Discourse in 1850.

  2. Darwin and Wallace papers read at the Linnean Society

    1858

    Role: Naturalist and author of the essay on varieties

    1. 1 July 1858 · Linnean Society of LondonJoint Presentation at the Linnean Society

      Darwin and Wallace's papers were read on 1 July 1858, marking the first public announcement of natural selection.

    2. 20 August 1858 · Zoological Journal of the Linnean SocietyPublication in the Zoological Journal

      The papers were published in August 1858, constituting the first announcement of the Darwin–Wallace theory of evolution by natural selection.

Sources

  1. Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-18
  2. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties; and on the Perpetuation of Varieties and Species by Natural Means of Selection Wikipedia, revision of 2026-03-02