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Charles Robert Darwin was born February 12, 1809, in Shrewsbury, England. After a remarkable and productive life, he died on April 19, 1882, in Downe, England. The cause of his death is not clear. Some sources claim it was due to a heart attack, while others cite an illness (possibly Chagas disease) contracted during his travels to South America. Upon his death, Darwin's family arranged for him to be buried in St. Mary's churchyard in the village of Downe. However, William Spottiswoode, the President of the Royal Society (an elite scientific body in London), had greater aspirations for Darwin. He wrote to the Dean of Westminster Abbey requesting that Darwin be buried in its prestigious cemetery. A self-professed agnostic, Darwin wrote the following on the topic of creationism: I feel most deeply that the whole subject is too profound for human intellect. A dog might as well speculate on the mind of Newton. Let each man hope and believe what he can. Despite Darwin's controversial work, the Dean of Westminster accepted Spottiswoode's request. After Darwin's family agreed to the interment, his body was sent to the Abbey for a service and burial. Charles Darwin's grave bears a simple inscription with his name, birth date, and date of death. He keeps good company, however. He is buried close to two other famous scientists, Sir John Herschel and, ironically enough, Sir Isaac Newton.
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