Sir Charles Lyell, 1st Baronet, was a Scottish geologist who demonstrated the power of known natural causes in explaining the earth's history. He is best known today for his association with Charles Darwin and as the author of Principles of Geology (1830–33), which presented to a wide public audience the idea that the earth was shaped by the same natural processes still in operation today, operating at similar intensities. The philosopher William Whewell dubbed this gradualistic view "uniformitarianism" and contrasted it with catastrophism, which had been championed by Georges Cuvier and was better accepted in Europe. The combination of evidence and eloquence in Principles convinced a wide range of readers of the significance of "deep time" for understanding the earth and environment.
Charles Lyon Chandler was an American consul and historian of Latin America–United States relations. A Harvard graduate who came to South America in the Consular Service, he became a student and proponent of Pan-Americanism. His pioneering 1915 book Inter-American Acquaintances proposed a new, Pan-American origin for the Monroe Doctrine. After being denied a permanent diplomatic appointment he worked for the Southern Railway and the Corn Exchange Bank; at the same time he became a respected independent scholar who helped found the Hispanic American Historical Review. Beside many articles on early inter-American relations, he co-authored an unpublished biography of Joel Roberts Poinsett. During World War II he worked in Brazil for the U.S. government, and before retirement he taught at Haverford, Georgetown and Ursinus.
Charles Monroe "Sparky" Schulz was an American cartoonist and the creator of the comic strip Peanuts, featuring his two best-known characters, Charlie Brown and Snoopy. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential cartoonists in history, and cited by many cartoonists as a major influence, including Jim Davis, Murray Ball, Bill Watterson, Matt Groening, and Dav Pilkey.
Charles Mackay was a Scottish poet, journalist, author, anthologist, novelist, and songwriter, remembered mainly for his book Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds.
Charles Macklin, , was an Irish actor and dramatist who performed extensively at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Macklin revolutionised theatre in the 18th century by introducing a "natural style" of acting. He is also famous for accidentally killing a man during a fight over a wig at the same theatre.
Charles Madison Curry (1869–1944) was an English literature professor and an author and reviewer of children's literature in the late 19th century and early 20th century. He was a Professor of English and Literature at Indiana State Normal School and authored the school's Alma Mater in 1925. He edited Literary Readings: An Introduction to the Study of Literature (1903). He created with Martha Adelaide Holton, the Holton-Curry Reader, a basal reader in 8 volumes for the elementary grades, which was published by Rand McNally in 1914.