David Livingstone

This statue in Edinburgh shows Dr David Livingstone holding a bible and a stick with a pistol and compass in his belt. Behind him is a lion skin representing his attack by a lion while working in Africa.

Today is the 200th anniversary of the birth of the missionary explorer Dr. David Livingstone in Scotland. After a 12 hour day working in the mill, then spending two hours at the mill school each evening he studied till midnight, eventually gaining enough qualifications to study to become a doctor. He was the first European to cross Africa and helped to eradicate slavery and open up the area for trade. Although he is well known as a missionary he actually converted only one man, the chief Sechele, who followed Livingstone's Christian ideals and helped to make the area prosperous in encouraging education and agricultural reforms. In fact his own life story is very fascinating. Many of Malawi's schools, hospitals and churches were built as a result of Livingstone's work and he is still held in high regard there. At his state funeral in London he was spoken of as being the greatest Briton of recent times.