David Livingston

David Livingston, born on March 19, 1813, in Blantyre, Scotland, was a pioneering medical missionary and explorer in Africa. He is renowned for his extensive explorations of the African continent, most notably his discovery of the Victoria Falls on November 16, 1855. Livingston's detailed maps and observations significantly contributed to Western knowledge of central and southern Africa. One of his remarkable achievements is the transcontinental journey across Africa from Luanda on the Atlantic coast to Quelimane on the Indian Ocean, completed between 1854 and 1856. Additionally, his fervent opposition to the slave trade profoundly influenced public opinion in Britain. Livingston's writings, including "Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa" (1857), remain essential historical documents. David Livingston died on May 1, 1873, in Chief Chitambo's village, present-day Zambia.