David Livingstone
- Born:
- March 19, 1813, Blantyre, Lanarkshire, Scotland
- Died:
- May 1, 1873, Chitambo's Village (near present-day Chipata), Northern Rhodesia (Zambia)
- Nationality:
- Scottish
- Profession(s):
- Medical Missionary, Explorer, Abolitionist
Early Life and Education
- Began working in a cotton mill at the age of 10.
- Studied Greek, Latin, and theology in evening classes.
- Attended Anderson's College (now University of Strathclyde) in Glasgow.
- Qualified as a licentiate of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons in Glasgow.
Career and Major Achievements
- Joined the London Missionary Society in 1840.
- Served as a missionary in Bechuanaland (now Botswana) from 1841.
- Undertook several expeditions into the interior of Africa.
- Crossed the Kalahari Desert.
- "Discovered" Victoria Falls (though known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya).
- Explored the Zambezi River.
- Searched for the source of the Nile River.
- Opposed the East African slave trade.
- Famously "found" by Henry Morton Stanley in 1871 at Lake Tanganyika.
Notable Works
- Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa (1857)
- The Zambesi and Its Tributaries (1865)
- The Last Journals of David Livingstone in Central Africa, from 1865 to His Death (published posthumously in 1874)
Legacy and Impact
David Livingstone's explorations significantly contributed to the mapping and understanding of Africa. While the precise "biography dr david livingstone definition" might vary depending on specific interpretations, his work spurred both missionary activity and, problematically, subsequent European colonization. He is remembered as a pioneering explorer, missionary, and a vocal advocate against slavery, though his legacy remains complex due to the impact of his explorations on the continent's future.