Charles Lyell

@Lawyers, Career and Life ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Charles Lyell was a pioneering geologist from Britain, who studied the underlying forces which shaped the earth’s surface to its present day form British Intellectuals & Academics Geographers Geologists Scorpio Celebrities Sir Charles Lyell was a British attorney and premier geologist of the 19th century. He is best remembered as the author of 'Principles of Geology,' which popularized the concept that the Earth was shaped by geological processes that continue today. He was introduced to science, particularly geology by his father who was a naturalist. He moved to London to become a barrister, or a lawyer specializing in higher court litigation, although his poor eyesight made it impossible. This prompted him to start his career in science. He was one of the first scientists to believe the Earth is older than 300 million years, and his scientific contributions contributed to the world's understanding of volcanoes, earthquakes, and geology. His version of geology was eventually called ‘uniformitarianism’ due to his insistence that processes that change the planet are uniform throughout time. He created a lens through which to view Earth's history, establishing that the forces that shape the planet have remained the same throughout time. Lyell was also a close friend of Charles Darwin and contributed to Darwin's thinking on evolution. His work, 'Principles of Geology', influenced Darwin so deeply that he imagined evolution as a type of biological uniformitarianism. To know more about the life and works of this eminent geologist read on

Personal Details

Birthday: November 14, 1797 Died on: February 22, 1875 Nationality: British Famous: Lawyers, Intellectuals & Academics, Geographers, Geologists Universities: Exeter College Oxford King's College London University of Oxford Birth Place: Angus Gender: Male Information Detail Birthday November 14, 1797 Died on February 22, 1875 Nationality British Famous Lawyers, Intellectuals & Academics, Geographers, Geologists Universities Exeter College Oxford King's College London University of Oxford Birth Place Angus Gender Male Sun Sign Scorpio Born in Angus Famous as Lawyer Died at Age 77

Angus

Charles Lyell born at Unsplash Birth Place

In 1832, Lyell married Mary Horner, who was also associated with the ‘Geological Society of London’. Unsplash Personal Life

He died on February 22, 1875 at the age of 77 of natural causes. He was buried in Westminster Abbey. Unsplash Personal Life

Places named after him include Lyell, New Zealand; Mount Lyell in California; Mount Lyell in Canada; Lyell Land in Greenland; Mount Lyell in Tasmania; Lyell Glacier in South Georgia; and Lyell Canyon. Unsplash Personal Life

He was born on November 17, 1797 to Charles Lyell, the son of a wealthy gentleman who inherited a large estate in Scotland. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

The eldest of 10 children, he attended several private schools throughout his early life. Later he studied at the ‘Exeter College’, Oxford from 1816 to 1819, graduating BA second in classics. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

After graduating, he moved to London to study law, although his weak eyesight made his studies difficult. To find relief, he turned to geological work outdoors, which led to his career in geology. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

He met renowned naturalist Georges Cuvier and Alexander von Humboldt on a trip to Paris in 1823, and had the opportunity to study the Paris Basin. Unsplash Career

In 1824, he studied sediment formation in freshwater lakes close to Kinnordy, Scotland. Unsplash Career

In 1825, Lyell was admitted to the bar, although his father's financial support allowed him to practice geology more than law. He published his first geological papers that year. Unsplash Career

While still practicing law, Lyell began planning a book to stress that there are natural explanations for geological phenomena and that these forces are unchanging through time. Unsplash Career

Between 1828 and 1829, he studied the region of Mt. Etna, where he found evidence to confirm his beliefs. Unsplash Career

He wrote 'Principles of Geology,' which challenged many popular geological theories of the time and explained earthquakes, volcanoes, and other geological principles. Unsplash Major Works

He published 'Antiquity of Man' in 1863, which discussed proof of the long existence of humans on the earth. Unsplash Major Works

Information	Detail
Birthday	November 14, 1797
Died on	February 22, 1875
Nationality	British
Famous	Lawyers, Intellectuals & Academics, Geographers, Geologists
Universities	Exeter College Oxford King's College London University of Oxford
Birth Place	Angus
Gender	Male
Sun Sign	Scorpio
Born in	Angus
Famous as	Lawyer
Died at Age	77

Charles Lyell

British

Nov 14, 1797

Biography

Personal Details

Angus