Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species was first published in 1859. The book appeared in London on 24 November 1859 under its full title, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life.
Darwin had been developing his theory for more than two decades when Alfred Russel Wallace independently reached a similar explanation of evolution. Wallace’s 1858 essay prompted Darwin to publish an abridged version of his larger work, with papers by both men presented to the Linnean Society before Darwin’s book appeared.
The first edition was published by John Murray and had a print run of 1,250 copies. Demand was immediate, and a second edition followed in January 1860. Darwin revised the text through six British editions, adding changes and responses to criticism.
The 1871 date is associated with another major Darwin work, The Descent of Man, not the first publication of Origin. The year 1858 marks the joint Darwin–Wallace presentation, while 1859 is the publication year readers are asked to identify.