Sir Charles Lyell was a Scottish geologist who significantly impacted geology and changed how people perceived the Earth's geological history. Lyell was born in Kinnordy, Scotland, in 1797 into a wealthy family supporting his education. His father was a botanist, and Lyell was exposed to nature from an early age by his father. Lyell was a student of Exeter College, Oxford, where he read classics, but lectures given by William Buckland sparked his interest in geology. His interest in the Earth's structure made him quit his law practice and take up geology as a profession, resulting in his making important discoveries.

Lyell's most famous work is Principles of Geology, which was published in three volumes between 1830 and 1833 and introduced the idea of uniformitarianism. This theory states that the Earth's features were formed by gradual processes such as erosion and deposition over a very long time rather than by sudden catastrophes. Lyell's work was based on field observations and data, while Georges Cuvier supported the catastrophism theory. In Principles of Geology, Lyell introduced the concept of "uniformitarianism," meaning that the Earth is millions of years old, which was quite radical in the 19th century. His focus on slow, step-by-step changes provided the basis for the study of geology. It influenced contemporaries such as Charles Darwin, who read Lyell's work while formulating his theory of evolution.

Lyell participated in developing many areas of geology, including volcanoes, earthquakes, fossil classification, and climate change. His contribution to stratigraphy was classifying the Tertiary period into three parts: the Eocene, Miocene, and Pliocene, which are still used today. Lyell's detailed analysis of rock formations helped other scientists develop theories regarding the Earth's history. Lyell was awarded a knighthood in 1848 and made a baronet in 1864 for his services. At first, Lyell criticized Darwin's theory of evolution, but he later supported Darwin's ideas.

Lyell's influence was not limited to his written works. His journeys to North America and other regions inspired him to write geology travel books that made people aware of scientific concepts. At the time of his death in 1875, Lyell had become one of the leading figures in geology. His works, especially his promotion of uniformitarianism and his challenge to the concept of the Earth's age, established him as one of the fathers of modern geology.