Charles Darwin married his cousin Emma Wedgwood in 1839.
The wedding took place on 29 January 1839 at St Peter's Church in Maer, Staffordshire. Emma was the daughter of Josiah Wedgwood II and Darwin's first cousin; their shared grandparents were Josiah Wedgwood I and Sarah Wedgwood. Darwin had proposed in November 1838, recording the memorable entry “The day of days!” after Emma accepted.
The marriage followed Darwin's return from the five-year voyage of HMS Beagle and came as he was settling into his scientific life in London. The couple later moved to Down House in Kent, where Darwin conducted many of his most important experiments and wrote major works on evolution.
Darwin and Emma had ten children, although three died during childhood. Emma also helped preserve Darwin's correspondence, gather observations and support the family’s scientific work. The commonly offered dates 1838 and 1840 refer to the engagement period or later events, not the wedding itself.