200 years ago: The birth of David Livingstone

Dr. David Livingstone, of "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" fame, was born in Blantyre, Scotland on March 19, 1813. A Congregationalist, he went to Africa as a medical missionary in the mid-19th century under the auspices of the London Missionary Society. He became famous because of his exploration of Africa (including the discovery and naming of Victoria Falls) and his opposition to slavery. Dr. Livingstone died of malaria and dysentery in what is now Zambia on May 1, 1873 at the age of 60,and was greatly mourned in Britain.

The bicentenary of Dr. Livingstone's birth is being celebrated in Africa as well as in Scotland and London. Go here to read about Dr. Livingstone's legacy and here for the Wikipedia biography (no guarantee of accuracy, of course). Other sites of interest include Livingstone Online and The David Livingstone Spectral Imaging Project. Several works by Dr. Livingstone are available at Project Gutenberg. Visitors to Scotland may want to visit the David Livingstone Centre in Blantyre.