David Livingstone (born , Blantyre, Lanarkshire, Scotland—died , Chitambo [now in Zambia]) was a Scottish physician, missionary, and explorer who exercised a formative influence on Western attitudes toward Africa.
A medical doctor, missionary, preacher, African explorer, humanitarian, and fighter against the slave trade, David Livingstone went fearlessly to places other outsiders had never gone and, from the obscurity of the remote African interior, became one of the most celebrated heroes of his era.
David Livingstone, perhaps the best known missionary and explorer of the Victorian period, was born in 1813 to parents Neil and Agnes Livingstone. He began life in Blantyre, a small town near Glasgow on the river Clyde where the cotton mill was the major employer.
David Livingstone was a Scottish missionary, abolitionist and physician known for his explorations of Africa, having crossed the continent during the mid-19th century.
David Livingstone stands as a notable figure in missional history, exploration, and humanitarian efforts. From his Scottish upbringing to his final years in Africa, his life illustrates a consistent devotion to serving God and reaching people with the message of salvation found in Jesus Christ.
Discover facts about the Victorian missionary Dr David Livingstone who explored Africa. Find out why he was a national hero.
David Livingstone stands among the most remarkable figures in Christian and world history. Known as a missionary, explorer, scientist, and reformer, he was a man whose faith in Christ guided every step of his life’s journey across the unknown regions of Africa.
Born 19 March 1813, one of seven children living with desperately poor Calvinist parents in a single room in Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, Scotland (now the David Livingstone Centre), Livingstone continued working at the mill while studying medicine and theology.